Oh My. . .

It's been a long time since my last post.

Where to begin.

We're now a family of 4...
4 eyes that is. Both the kids went to the eye doctor and both kids need glasses. Zoie got hers the end of September and Jeremy's hasn't gotten his yet.

Had two field trips. Jeremy went to the City Museum and Zoie went to Relleke Pumpkin Farm.
They had pony rides.


face painting


petting zoo


hay ride through the pumpkin patch

That was a fun day but it very exhausting for me.

Moe got fixed. They recommend at 6 months. I just wanted to get it done before he starts marking his territory. Nothing is worse than a cat spraying except for a skunk. Now we are debating if we should get him declawed. I haven't seen him scratching on the furniture, but he is tearing up the back door screen from climbing on it. I try to clip his nails once a week to keep that down.

Zoie is going to be a Cat for Halloween. Got her the ears and tail and a black sweat suit. She 's also gonna be a penguin for the December program so that suit will be double tasking. I just have to look for some good face paint to make up her face.

Jeremy is debating on whether he's going to go trick or treating this year. I'm not sure how old is too old. He said he'll use his costume from last year if he goes.

I'm still have some issues with my RA. My blood counts are going down, but the swelling in my knees and hands are not going down. They are still a little painful, especially in the morning or when I walk for too long. I don't go back to the Rheumatologist until the middle of November.

Well, that about sums up the past month. Not a whole lot of excitement going on here.

School is going good

Zoie just loves it.

Hasn't got one bad thing to say about it.

Jumped on the bus the first day like she was a pro.

Jeremy is enjoying school.

He doesn't have to many complaints yet.

Here's a few photos of the 1st days.

Todd and I had to go the first day with Zoie for a hour and a half. They colored and did a little scavenger hunt looking for the ginger bread man. He was found in the cafeteria and the kids got to eat him.

This is the 2nd day where she acutally got to ride the bus.

She was way too excited.

She couldn't hardly stand still.

Loves the sound of water

If he hears it running or being splashed he's there in a hurry.



Everytime Zoie's in the bath he is right there. Licking the water off her hair when it comes into reach. Walking back and fourth on the edge of the tube. I think it's the splashing sound of the water he loves so much. He even comes running when I'm getting a glass of water from the fridge. For an animal known for hating water he sure loves it. Doesn't mind getting a bath now and than but only if he's being held.

I would like you to meet

Moe

Short for motorboat. Because all he does is purr, even in his sleep. I'm not sure if that's the name he will keep. I always get over ruled. I'm trying to stand firm. Hey if I have to pay for getting him fixed and declawed, which was the agreement Todd and I had, I should get to name him, right? One would think so. But It probably won't work out that way because I carried those kids for 9 months and all my names got shot down. Zoie swears it's a girl and keeps running girl names past me.

This is where he camped out all night, Jeremy's bed. Just don't tell Zoie because she wanted him to sleep with her. He did lay down with her for a split second but since Jeremy was still up 'Moe' had to check it out and just ended up there all night.

Now that he's up I need to see if he remembers where his litter box is. It's so nice to get a cat that is already trained.

The kids and I got the thumbs up. . .

to finally get a pet. Todd said we could get a kitty cat. I really like dogs better, but I think a cat will fit in better. I don't have to worry about muddy little paw prints on the floor or listening to a barking alarm when someone knocks. Plus with my condition I don't know how bending over all the time cleaning up little potty messes and having to get up fast enough to open the door to let them out. My Aunt has some kittens that will be ready to take home soon. I'll have to go shopping for food, food bowls, litter and litter box sometime so we'll be ready. Oh and I can't forget toys.

I have 1 more month until my little baby will be a big girl. She starts kindergarten. No really, these are tears of joy. Tuesday is school registration. We already have all the school supplies, sitting in a pile in the computer room. I still have to take them to get haircuts and shoes. I need to get Zoie some new shorts. I already got Jeremy's new school clothes.

What am I going to do with myself? I'm still going to babysit on Fridays and I'm thinking and hoping that in a few months I'll be able to get a small job for a few hours a day. Just have to play that by ear.

I'll post pictures of the first day of school and the kitty when we get 'em.

Great Weekend

We had a pretty good weekend. Friday my brother and his family came over for a bbq. Had some really yummy food. Brats, my everybody loves homemade macaroni & cheese, 7 layer salad, pasta salad, baked beans, chips, cream puff cake and what is 4th of July without watermelon. MMMMM! Then when it got dark we went to the empty lot next door and let off our fireworks. It was great, everyone enjoyed them, all 40 of us. The neighbors, some of their families, us and the people we invited over. I got a few pics.



Saturday we went down to our friends property for some fun.
The girls played in the hose,

While the boys played on the 4 wheelers,

After the girls were all dried off they went for a little wagon ride,

We decided to go out to eat for dinner and a little fishing after before it got too dark,

Todd even got in on the action, but he did have to have someone put the worm on and take the fish off.

Today is just a lazy day for me. I'm a little sore. Todd's out working on his car and the kids are relaxing watching tv.
Life is good.

Feeling so much better

I went to the Rheumatologist this past Wednesday. I've been put on tons of meds. Methotrexate (4 pills at one time once a week), Hydroxychlor (2 per day), Prednisone (2 per day), Meloxicam (1 per day) and Folic Acid (1 per day). The only side effects I've been having is after taking the morning dose of Hydroxychlor I feel dizzy and really tired. I have to lay down for about an hour. The evening dose doesn't bother me though.

Had to go to the eye doctor also. With these drugs the doctor wanted a before and after type thing with my eyes. I also have to go in for blood work every 2 weeks.

I'm feeling so much better though. I'm not stiff or in pain all day long. I still have a little trouble going up and down stairs. I still get tired quickly but I don't know if that's just from the meds.

I got other good news. I got a guest spot on Dani Alencar Creative Team for June and July. Here's my 1st layout I did with her new kit that came out last week @thedigichick.com

And here's the LO I did with Jacques stuff that came out last Friday @the-lilypad.com

With that I'm going to go. I think I'm gonna take a tiny nap before I have to start dinner.

Have a great week.

Pats self on back

I just love how this one turned out.

I'm 35 and not ashamed to say

"I want my mommy!"
I have a love hate relationship with this time of year. I enjoy it because I have my own kids but down deep I'm falling apart because my mom isn't here. Now especially that I'm going through my medical problems. Todd is there for me but nothing can compare to having the support from your mom.
I've been having a painful flare up the last few days. I don't know if it's because of the stress over the weekend or I pushed myself too much when I went shopping last Friday. So I'm taking it easy the next few days. Laying in bed and working on a LO or two that needs to be done by this weekend.
I did have a cute moment this Sunday. Zoie told me that she didn't get me a card because she couldn't drive and no money to get me one. She did make me a card. It said. .
I heart mom
Happy Mother's Day
Todd wasn't sure what I wanted for Mother's Day so we went to the store. I was told by Zoie that I couldn't go because I would see what they picked out. But I told her that daddy needs help picking out what I want so I needed to go so he would get it right. I got this cute little bird bath for the front. It's not a cement one. It's made out of hard plastic and it has flowers and a cute little bunny on the base.
And since I was feeling better last week I said I would start babysitting again. What was I thinking. . . Now this week I feel like crap. I only watch them on Fridays. I think I'll be ok for just one day a week. I'm not sure how it's going to go after I start my treatment. Hopefully I won't have the bad side effects with the medicine I'll be on.
Well I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend.
Take Care.

Am I a bad mom. . .

for letting my kid play outside in her jammies?



It was such a beautiful day and she couldn't wait to get outside. So I just let her run out the door without changing her clothes.

Isn't my new header Cute ?

:) Well of course it is, I put the new photos of the kids that we got taken this weekend in it this time.
I used Jacque's stuff too from the-lilypad.com (XL Frames, What's the Weather, Home Tweet Home, Good Day Sunshine)

Photos I said I would post

Oh golly gee I didn't take to many photos in March. I better start taking more.
This is the only good ones for March that I took.


D.A.R.E. Graduation

Town Easter Egg hunt

Zoie being proud of her little eggs.

A Rough Month

Just a month ago I was diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis. I've been having a hard time coming to terms with this. It's something I'm going to have to live with for the rest of my life. My joints are so painful that I have a hard time doing anything without a struggle. I can't do normal day to day stuff without paying for it the next day. OTC pain pills are not working. I don't go to the Rheumatologist until the 21st of April. I guess I have to bite the bullet until then.
On another note.
We had a wonderful Easter. Spent it over my brothers most of the day and went to Todd's parents that evening. And the weekend before I took Zoie to the town Easter egg hunt. She got a ticket in one of the eggs that said she won a small prize. It was a little stuffed bunny.
Can ya believe that Zoie is going to be 5 in less than two weeks. She is growing up so fast. She'll be starting kindergarten this fall too. I was so looking forward to going back to work, but I'm not sure where my RA will be at by then. Hopefully I can get a good medication to put it into remission.
I'll post some pictures to recap on the month of March later. The connection is acting up.

Dinner Guest

As I finished cleaning off the table after dinner I noticed we had a little guest that we didn't know had visited. We weren't the only ones who enjoyed the garlic cheese biscuits. Yummy!
Have a great day!

New Layout's

I got 3 more lo's done this week and they were all Jeremy's. I seem to scrap more of Zoie because they are all digital and Jeremy's I have to dig out of albums and scan. Which is a big pain in the butt.

Today I don't have any big plans. Todd won't be home until tonight and Jeremy's Grandma (ex's mom) is having a birthday party for him. The ex usually throws him a bowling party every year and since he won't be in, his mom is giving it. Lucky kid, he gets 2 parties. Roger is firearm training with the Army until the middle of March. He leaves for Iraq at the end of March for a year. This is his 2nd tour over there but this one is closer to the shooting so he needs to carry a gun with him for protection.

Well I need to get Jeremy up and ready for his Grandma.

Hope your day is great!

I hate this weather

Sleet, snow and rain. . . yuck.

Todd leaves tonight. He's going up north with Jerry to do some side work (plumbing). Todd owe's him a favor. He should be home tomorrow night. I hate it when he's gone. I don't sleep well. Not that I can't sleep without him, I worry too much. Too many bad things happening in the world today.

I'm babysitting today and thought while the kids were down for a nap I would get some LO's uploaded and update my blog a little.

Not too much has been going on here. I did finally talk Jeremy into getting his hair cut. He was getting tired of it anyways. It's just too thick to let it grow long. He wanted to let it grow out over the summer but I convinced him to wait until it got colder, thinking he would change his mind, not! I have a before picture but haven't taken an after yet. He got about 5 inches cut off. It filled the ladies dust pan.

He says it feels so much better now. He looks so much better with short hair,too.

We also celebrated his 12th birthday on the 15th and my 35th on the 14th. Where's the time gone. I feel so old.

He's hair wasn't combed well.

I took Zoie to the Mall a few weeks ago and I let her ride the carousel. But other than that We haven't done much since my last post. She's been to her playgroup. I still babysit every friday. Other than that we lead a pretty boring life. :) Oh I did take or should I say I tried to take some professional looking photo's of my cousin's little girl. There's so much I need to learn.

She seems to be a very happy baby. Ain't she a cutie! She's 5 1/2 months old.

Well the kids are getting up and I need to get something ready for lunch. Plus my battery is getting really low.

Take Care! TTYL

Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds

This is what I see while sitting at my kitchen table looking out the windows. It's amazing. There are thousands of them.(excuse the bad photos, I was in a hurry before they flew away)
The birds don't freak me out, it's thinking of all the poo they are leaving behind. No bare feet this summer. LOL! It tells me that the worst of the winter is over... I hope.

Some fun Layouts

I forgot to show ya some things.

Jacque has a couple of new sets out this week (20% off too). Here's the layouts I did.Zoie loves to put make up on. She has tons of different color lipsticks but she always puts on the red one.Don't they look cute together. They look so much a like.

I've been tagged

by mimi.

*The rules are to link the person who sent this to you…and leave a comment on their blog.. so their readers can visit yours.
*post the rules on your blog
*Share 7 strange/weird facts about you on your blog
*Tag 7 random people at the end of your post, linking their blog
*Let each person know they have been tagged by leaving them a comment on their blog…

7 strange facts about me . . . I may have to come back to that.

The other night there was a beautiful full moon. So I got my new lens out (55-200) and headed outside.
The first picture I took was on auto and it didn't come out very good. Just a big glowing white ball.
Then I played with the manual setting. Scary stuff. I'm always shooting in auto, but I'm trying to play with manual. It scares me because what if I don't have the setting right and screw up a photo that I won't be able to get back? So I was willing to play with the moon which didn't run away from me. It was such a good subject, posing so nicely for me. LOL!

It's not as bright as it was in the sky, something I'll have to figure out. But I love how you can see the craters. Here's the settings: F/5.6 ISO 800 Exposure time: 1/3200 sec.

I will have to come back later to my first part of the post.

No School Today

Jeremy spent the night at a friends. And Zoie hasn't been getting up too early this past week. I thought I would be able to sleep in today. Oh NO, no such luck. Todd called me at 7:30 telling me his work van got broke in to over the weekend. His personal toolbox got stolen and some copper. Heck, there are more expensive tools that they could of took, drills, saws all's that the company owns. So he was on his way to Home Depot to get new tools, about $400 worth. He can't work without them. What's weird is none of the other vans got hit. Was it a personal attack? Todd thinks so.
With some other bad news is his boss is getting sued a ton for money owed. I hope this doesn't effect his job position. Not that he wouldn't be able to find another. He is a great plumber. And I'm not just saying that because he is my boyfriend.
Well I'm off to finish up the laundry and making the beds.

Hearing from old friends

Over a week ago I got a call from an old friend that I meet when I was in Okinawa. It wasn't an unexpected call, I did send her a x-mas card. I looked her up and found her address on the internet. I haven't talked to her since after my mom died. It was really nice to hear what she and her family have been up to. We exchanged e-mail addresses. Which probably will be the best way to keep in touch because I'm bad at not picking up the phone.

And Monday out of the blue I got a call from my moms old friend. We talked a long time clearing up a few things. See her and my mom were friends for as long as I can remember and a few years before my mom passed they stopped talking. Why? No one really knew why. Supposedly it was over some house jacks my mom and her husband borrowed. I wrote her a letter after mom passed asking why and telling her I was so pissed off at her for not coming to the funeral. All these years I hated her for not being with my mom when she battled cancer like my mom was there for her when she did the same a few years earlier. And especially for not coming to the funeral to pay respect to a dear friend. Years have gone by, I grew up a bit and I realized that life is too short to hold grudges. I forgave Lou a couple of years ago. But I now know the reason and how the persons involved are (another but name will be with held). I understand her actions, I may not totally agree with them. But after her explanations and what I already knew before, I got the whole picture. We (Lou and I) are better now. We made plans to sit down and talk some more over coffee. Maybe Lou can tell me some stories of my mom back in the day that I never knew about . Here's a picture of them when they bowled together.

(from left to right: Lou, Mom, Linda and Bernice)

The back of the picture was dated 1982. Mom was 32. I believe they bowled into the late 80's early 90's.

Time to finish up some laundry and work on some lo's with some of Jacque's new stuff coming out tomorrow. Here's a sneak peek of 2 of her kits.

Just getting over a cold

I was sick all weekend. Sore, scratchy throat and I was so stuffed up I could of exploded. I'm feeling a lot better today. My energy is back up, but I'm still a little stuffed up.

Zoie has a playgroup today at 10:30 then we are off to do some shopping. I have to take Todd's glasses back again. Last week it was because the lens had to be replaced due to cracking. Two days ago the screw holding the lens in popped out. I put the screw back in and it just turns. I guess they stripped the hole out or put the wrong screw in. And while I'm at the mall I'm gonna head over to the book store to see what kind of books they have on my camera. The manual that comes with the camera doesn't get into great detail. I need something that spells it out for me. Then it's off to the Sprint store. My 2 yrs. is up and I want to see what kind of new phone I can get. Oh yeah I can't forget to drop the water bill off or Todd will have my head.

The designer I'm "working" for moved stores. Now Jacque's over @ the-lilypad.com

Here's a few more layout using some of her cute stuff.

I had to borrow my cousins Amy's little ones photos for this one because I didn't have any train ones. Ain't he a cutie?!

HAPPY NEW YEAR ! ! ! !

Here's a layout I want to share...

The kids getting pulled by the 4 whlr. They had a blast.