So I'm thinking...

I need something cool up on top for my little blog title. I see everyone has one and I don't know how they do it. So I think I'm going to do a little cut and pasting...a little scanning and see if I can get something cool up there. BUT...any ideas are welcome. :) I'm just digi dumb and know I couldn't do anything on the computer.

Sooooo...the whole job thing. We have decided NOT to do it. I know I know...I've been struggling with the whole...is this a sign from God thing? But basically here is the run down. All my married life I've had to budget...we've had to budget in everything from groceries, fuel, new socks, etc. We've always struggled financially...just barely making ends meet. And it sucks. 6 months ago if they would have offered Shawn that wage we would have moved...no questions asked. As it wouldn't have been any different than what we were doing here...just scraping by. But now....now Shawn is making some good money and we have extra and I am able to go to the grocery store without mentally adding up my groceries. And I bought Mathew a new pair of sandals last week without going through the checkbook to make sure we had the extra money to spare. We are not struggling...we are living really great. For the first time in our lives. And I'm being selfish...but it's REALLY nice. So there's our decision...unless they really wow him. Shawn is still going to go talk with them as he has to take the boys to my parents anyway (they are spending a week with my folks!). We'll see...but at this point Shawn and I are in agreement..that it's really nice. We even went out to dinner..just the two of us and dropped the boys off at the drop in childcare center for an hour. :) Before...never would have been able to...or would have had to set money aside just to have that luxury. *sigh*

Alrighty...I gotta get to work...have a great day!

Friday....woohoooo!!

Although it started out a little rocky. Not a great morning for us at the Stevens' house. Mathew is just SO dang mean to his brother...and then he lied to me....I gave him 3 chances to tell me the truth and it wasn't until I threatened to take away fishing that he told me the truth (the boys each had a different story and I said someone better stop lying....). Any advice on what to do?? Lying is one of the biggest things that Shawn and I preach to the boys...that we won't tolerate it and that they will be in LESS trouble if they just tell us the truth than if they try to lie about it. So I told Mathew there will be consequences for lying especially since I gave him 3 chances to tell the truth. If he's pulling this at 8...what is going to happen when he's 15. *shudder* I cringe at the thought. :)

So Shawn got a phone call....about a job opportunity. And this isn't the first time from these same people. I'm beginning to wonder how many times we will have to be beat in the head with it before we realize maybe it's a sign and something we should follow?? It's just that if it were to happen we would move home...which don't get me wrong...I would love to move and be closer to my family. BUT...change is hard. It's not a little move...it's a move that if we took the jump we would probably never be able to move back to Kalispell just because of the cost of living difference. We have to think of the boys...how well they are doing in school. And if we can give Mathew the opportunity to excel in baseball...do they even HAVE a baseball program? You have to think that we would be moving to a town with a population of about 1800. Still bigger than my hometown but WAY smaller than Kalispell. I think of all the pros....I wouldn't have to work and could be more active in the boys at school etc, I could get a horse (see...look at the me me me going on here!!)...and Auston could get a horse. I wouldn't worry about the kids getting stolen riding their bike down the street, they could walk to school without that fear, they would be able to go to the ranch and run around and play whenever. The pace of life is SO much slower and the cost of living cheaper. There is no fast food restaurants. (okay..that doesn't look like it's spelled right??) Actually..there isn't much of anything. *sigh* I basically told Shawn he has a lot to think about. But it all boils down to how many times this has to come up....do you believe in signs?? It's like getting hit over the head over and over and ignoring it. How long do you take the beating?? UGH. Well hopefully within a month we'll know what's going on....I will keep you posted...

ha!

it's not Monday. :) And here I am...writing a little sumpin' sumpin. :)

Okay...so I've been getting my headaches back again...I've always had headaches and for the most part just live with them 24/7 as literally I can't remember the last time I haven't had a headache. So when I say I'm getting them back I mean by more extreme...to where they are making me not function so well. I kinda have figured it because I wear my hair up all the time and have a clip thingey sitting at the back of my head. So the last two days I've worn my hair down (well until noon..which is really good for me!!). This morning I curled it. I mean the little ringlet curls. It took me HALF AN HOUR. Holy crap...that's ridiculous!! I usually get ready from start to finish in half an hour and here I was just curling my stinkin' hair in that time. Shawn loved it and I've gotten lots of compliments (I think everyone says something as it's just so different since I wear my hair up everyday). BUT...I just don't think it's feasible to spend 1/2 hour on my hair every morning. I'm so not a girly girl. :)

Lessseeee....here are my most recent layouts...all using the July Sweet Pea Scraps kit. And I'm planning on scrappin' this weekend as Shawn has been fishing like a mad man. And I'm being totally serious...the other night/morning he didn't get in until 4:51am. I've been calling his fishing thing 'LuLu' since it's like a mistress. :) But I don't care...I'm sleeping so what does it matter if he's night fishing...right?

Work has been pretty busy...this is my 2nd full week...which btw...I got 40.5 hours last week. :) I'm not doing so good this week...I bet I'm 1/2 hour short of my 40. But that's okay...I won my bet...and really that's all that matters!! tee hee

OH...I do have something to report. Monday mid morning my babysitter calls and said that some people from State showed up at our house. Yup...Child Protective Services came to MY house. I was freakin' out. The 'anonymous' tip said that we left the house at 7:30 and left our 6 and 8 year old unattended all day long. Yeah right...do you know the damage those boys could do left alone?? *sigh* Well...to put your mind at ease it wasn't due to us being bad parents...actually the neighbor across the street was mad at us and used this to 'get even' with us. What a rotten thing to do right? Well he's a grumpy old man who doesn't like kids. What happened (long story here) is that the boys were playing ball and the ball when into his yard...he legally changed his name to Sinaway (yes that's right...Sin Away)...well while the boys were getting the ball out of his yard (no fence either btw) he called them little bas*ards. Shawn found out and was furious and went over there to tell him never to call the boys names. Sinaway started yelling at Shawn saying our kids were so awful and always destructive blah blah blah..then proceeded to call my husband a low life piece of sh*t. I'm not even kidding. So while I'm trying to keep my husband from pummeling this 60 year old man he runs into his house and locks the door. Smart on his part. So Shawn goes and talks to the landlord about it because..well it's not called for. Well..Sinaway also called CPS on our neighbor so we knew it was him. But I just can't have CPS called everytime my boys annoy this stupid man. He shouldn't be in this neighborhood at all since he doens't like kids...or people for that matter. He's always yelling at people if they get to close to his lawn. So there is that story...in a nutshell. :)

One of my bestest friends Missy gave me a link to this awesome blog. The latest entry is so great and I'm totally going to try to incorporate these challenges into my scrappin'...cuz I'm certain it'll be fairly easy to do. But the blog author is a great writer and her entry really got to me. So take a peek.

Monday again....

do you see a pattern here? Seems I only remember to blog on Monday's when I post the Sweet Pea Vine challenge!!

So not much new to report....here is my layout I did for this week's Random Chaos layout. I have to admit that I cheated. I created this layout during the retreat I went to in April...as I just didn't scrap all this week!! UGH. But it works...so that's okay right??

It was a nice weekend...the sun was shining...FINALLY!! It was in the 70's all weekend...so nice out. The boys went fishing on Saturday for a bit...and I cleaned the house. We have a babysitter starting today...she's coming to the house to watch the boys. She's SUCH a good kid....I really like her and the boys adore her so that makes it perfect!! We'll see how she does with my monsters. :)

I swear I had something to report...but apparently my life is boring. I had a dream last night about my grama's funeral...and I was sobbing...literally sobbing in my dream. Weird and hard to go through all those emotions again. Oh and somewhere during the weekend I think I developed allergies...omg I've been sneezing like crazy..my nose is itchy and driving me nuts...and the sinus headache...ugh. SO not fair.

Oh and this is officially my first week back to working full time. A coworker of mine is betting me that I am not going to get my 40 hours for the week!! We are riding on a DQ blizzard/frappicino winning here. Then Shawn calls and I'm telling him about the bet and he asks if he can get in on it....on KEN'S side!! What the heck?? They really have no faith that I'm going to get my 40 in this week. Jerks!!

Okay...

Happy Thursday ya'll!! Hey...just wanted to let everyone know that July is ALMOST sold out already. I'm NOT even kidding. I think there are 2 kits left and then it's wait listed. Is that incredible or what?? I did receive my kit and WOW...this one is going to be SO much fun that I'm giddy with excitement. The biggest issue for me right now is that I need to clean off my scrap table....can you say minor whirlwind went through?? :) Tonight is the start of the baseball tournaments (I know....I said Tuesday but due to the SNOW the games were cancelled)...but I'm hoping to get crackin' on some layouts. Basic Grey, Cosmo Cricket and Little Yellow Bicycle are the papers featured this month. I LOVE how the girls have a knack for mixing manufacturers..makes it SO fun and so versatile!! OH...and June is almost sold out already too...so better go to Sweet Pea Scraps if you want one of your own!! Have a great day!!

Well happy Monday. I think. Actually...my eyes are swollen so bad as I cried all night. I'm fine..everyone is fine...I just got my little feelers hurt really bad by someone who I adore and love. And he has always been someone I respect, look up to, and admire as well as someone who I've always had in my hero status. Yup..my grampa. Yet he is the one who hurts me the most. For some reason I've always just yearned for him to tell me he's proud of me....and I've yet to hear that from him...it's always critisism and comments that just rip me up. And what I heard last night was the worst one yet...and it felt like a little bit of my heart just was ripped out. And I cried...no..I sobbed. I sobbed like I haven't since my grama passed away. I KNOW how he is...he is who he is and he's been like this for as long as I can remember...but it never gets any easier. And at 81 he certainly isn't going to change. I usually just take the ping and move on but this one was hard on me...and it may take a little longer for me to get over it. He won't be here forever so I just have to bury it and move on. But it's hard, ya know?

Anyway...I did work at the lss on Saturday night...and actually stayed there until 1:30am!! Wild and crazy girl I am. :) It was fun...I got 2 layouts done, 1 8x8 for Shawn's hunting/fishing album, and 4 teacher appreciation projects. Plus I was able to organize my patterned papers which have been in dire need of!!

My layout for this week's Random Chaos challenge was fun to do...since it involved some girls..which I totally had to borrow. :) My friend Stephanie has the CUTEST little girls so I was happy that she allowed me to use their photos.

And I really wanted to do another Sweet Pea Scraps layout as I only did 2 (but one of my teacher appreciate gifts is a 6x6 album which depleted a big chunk of my papers!!) and when I first did this layout I didn't like it at all..but the more I look at it the more I like it. :) And the colors are actually perfect for the primary's in the big fish!! This is also the challenge this week at the Sweet Pea Vine so make sure you check it out (you don't need to be a member of the kit club either..and it's totally random drawing not a beauty contest so you have no excuses NOT to participate!! :) (link is on the sidebar...I'm lazy).
This week is a busy one. The boys get out of school tomorrow and Auston has his kindergarten graduation!! :) Cannot believe they are getting so big so fast!! Tonight is batting practice for Mathew at 6pm, tomorrow is awards for school at 12:30 and early out at 1:30...then Mathew's baseball tournament starts tomorrow night. Nothing on Wednesday except that I start work full time again. *sigh* Thursday is baseball tournements and Friday is Auston's last soccer game. Whew. Geez. I guarantee my house will be a bomb by the end of the week.

Okay gotta get to work..have a lovely day!

oh I wish I could have video'd this...

and I need to write it down before I forget because it was SO freakin' hilarious!! Last night before the baseball game Mathew comes in and shuts the door. He stand there just looking at me. I said...what's up buddy. He very dramatically threw up his arms and then stood with his hands on his hips...he said...well...I got 2 on the line mom...2 on the line. Candice and Keisha both like me...(shakes his head) 2 on the line. Then he walked into his room. I was totally busting up laughing...it was the CUTEST thing ever. But dang..he's only 8...isn't this sposed to come a little bit later??

First and last layout are the June Sweet Pea Scraps kit...which is wicked fun!! :)

And...Auston cut his hair last night. The first ever in our household. He had a nice 4 layer bang thing going on. Needless to say...we got out the ol #2 clippers and cut the hair. :)

Speaking of hair...Mathew got his cut!! He is SOOOOO CUTE!! I will have to post photos. He looks like a completely different kid. All on his own he got his hair cut short.

And a couple projects I finished up for the Got Sketch 101 class I'm taking...