It's Been A While...

Since I've updated my poor, neglected blog. School has kept me crazy busy. Who whoulda thunk that taking Physics and Pre-Calculus would be a wee bit hard?? HA! Holy crap it's very overwhelming. I'm trudging through, and with some luck I'll make it through both classes (plus my Biology class) with a grade good enough not to have to retake them! :)

It's been HOT here the past week. I mean, it's October, for goodness sake! I got a sunburn at Sarah's soccer game last weekend! I've loved the weather though. Today was the last of the nice weather. Tomorrow starts the rain and cool weather. Guess it IS autumn, right?

Anyway...

I leave you with a photo of Cora and Andrew. This was taken at the Fall Classic, the last big outdoor archery tournament of the year.

Woot Woot!

It's Friday! No school for me today, but my house is a disaster area. Guess I oughta clean it, eh? First I'm gonna go shoot my bow for a while. We just got it set up for shooting indoor, since the outdoor season is over.

The Archery Olympic Trials start today!!! I have a friend who is there trying to make a go of it. GO LORI!!!! I can't wait to follow it. They'll have a photographer there today taking photos, and if I see her in one, I'll post it. I'm extremely geeked for her. It's not gonna be easy, but she's got the cojones to do it!

How DO You Cure A Broken Heart?

Poor Cora. She's suffering from her first broken heart. Yes. She's only 8. However, she's had a boyfriend since the middle of last school year, and now this boy is "seeing" someone else. Poor Cora is distraught. Sure, she's only 8, and it's not really a huge deal. But it is to her. She's been in the bed crying about it. I was in there talking to her, trying to help her to understand that it's ok to be upset about things like this. To her, it's the end of the world and there are NO other cute boys in the ENTIRE school (according to her). I told her that time will change how she feels, and that all she can do is just let him go. If only we adults could use that advice in our own lives sometimes. I guess there's actually nothing I can DO for her except hold her while she cries, and listen while she talks. I pray that I'm able to do that when she's older.

Family Fun Festival

Last night the fair was in town. It's the first year Grand Blanc has had a festival, and we had a blast!

Cora is finally tall enough to ride most of the rides, and she took every advantage of this! I bought the girls the unlimited ride bracelets. Cora absolutely loved the "Music Express"; she rode that thing about 30 times. Sarah was all about the bumper cars, even though she had to ride with her soccer buddy (who was tall enough to reach the pedal). Cora rode the spider about a million times, Sarah went down the big slide about as many times.

Just watching them have so much fun made me enjoy myself too. I didn't bring my camera because I didn't expect to stay that long. It was a beautiful day, and being in the carnival atmosphere brought back a lot of memories of my dad, who used to work with various carnivals in his later years. He loved it.

Last weekend was Sarah's first soccer game. She played wonderfully, and even scored a goal!

My girls are getting so grown up! What a blast to watch them develop into young ladies. I thank God every day for the blessings he's given me in my family.

Question: What was your favorite movie of the summer? I think mine has to be Harry Potter and The Order of The Phoenix, but a close second was Knocked Up. I laughed SO hard watching this movie!!

I think I've caught a cold. I have had allergies for a couple weeks now, but I feel worse today. Congestion, soreness, and a killer headache. I think I'm gonna go lay on the couch and veg today. No classes today, so I can wait until tomorrow to do the homework. Bah.

I Still Remember

I couldn't let today go by without posting.

Today is a day of remembrance. A day of sadness, and a day of hope.

My prayers are with the families and survivors of September 11, 2001.

Never forget.

Ya Hear That??

*chirp chirp chirp*

That's the sound of sweet silence! Both girls started school today!!! Sarah's a big first grader, and Cora's 3rd grader who thinks she's been there done that. Sigh.

It's only a half day for them, and I can't wait for them to get home and hear about their day. I walked them to the bus this morning hoping for some photos, but the bus came earlier than expected, so I didn't get exactly what I wanted. I did get them getting on the bus.

Yeah...she loves Troy. What 8 year old girl DOESN'T??

Cora's birthday is tomorrow. We had her party on Saturday, and she had 6 girlfriends over for a slumber party afterward. Yeah. That was...um...interesting. It was so funny to watch all these girls interacting. All the different personalities clashing and meshing. Great fun. I won't do it again any time soon, but Cora had a blast.

As tradition dictates, I have to take them out to eat for lunch. Guess we'll go to Cici's, since it's their favorite place. Cici's really IS the debil, since I can't stop eating their cinnamon rolls. Ah..guess I have to take one for the team today, eh?

Sarah's first soccer game is Saturday. That should be fun to watch. Gotta love magnet-ball!

Welp, I guess I'm done rambling for today. I'll end with a few layouts I've gotten done the past few days.

Toodles!!

Lookie!!!

Woot!!!

Long Weekend...

This weekend is the bow club's Annual Fall Shoot. It's a great time, and we'll spend all weekend there. Set up is today and tomorrow, so I'm about to get ready and head on out the door.

Allergies have hit full force. I always get them around this time of year. I thought I was doing really well, since I have been outside all summer. I thought the allergies might be mild this year because of that, but I was totally wrong. Here I sit, sneezing and coughing and scratching my eyes. Ugh.

Not much else to report today except to post a couple photos I got last night.

It's Monday!!!

Yeah yeah yeah...whoopee doo! :) Looks like it's gonna be a beautiful day. Not much going on today. I really need to clean our bedroom. All of Andrew's hunting stuff is strewn all over our floor, and *maybe* a teeny bit of MY stuff is there too...

Andrew and I took the girls fishing Friday. We went to Seven Lakes State Park, which is a beautiful place. Unfortunately, the fish are pretty smart. After fishing, we took a walk on a nature trail. About 50 feet into the trail, we saw a hawk fly away from something on the trail as we walked up. The hawk was eating a rattlesnake. There's only one type of venemous snake in Michigan, and Seven Lakes is a place where they're concentrated. Being from the south where snakes are plentiful, I wasn't impressed. I have a healthy respect for snakes and figured we'd better get the heck out of there. But apparently these snakes are very shy and the least poisonous of rattlesnakes. Andrew was fascinated since he's never seen a rattlesnake.

So, that's our adventure for the weekend.

Sunday, Cora and I went to Kids Day at Crossroads Village. She earned a certificate for 4 free passes into the village through the Summer Reading Program at the library. It was a pretty good time. We rode the train, which is always cool. The car we rode in was built in 1881. Cora also rode on a carousel that was built in 1912. She was JUST tall enough to ride it alone, and she was the only one on the ride at the time. She had the carousel all to herself, and she thought that was just the coolest.

Here's a couple photos from the past week or so. I think our card reader is dying, so getting photos off the card has proven tricky.

Silly Sarah





Fishin'

Welp, I'm off to clean. Anyone wanna help me??????

A Record Is Broken

Last night, Barry Bonds broke the all-time homerun record of 755 held by Hank Aaron. Despite the rumors and allegations surrounding Barry (which have not been proven as of yet), I'm happy for him. Barry Bonds has never been a favorite of mine. Something about him just rubs me the wrong way. I'm a bit bummed I didn't witness this homerun. I watched the game that Cal Ripken Jr. played in to take the streak record. I saw Mark McGuire's homerun that took the season homerun record (which has now been taken by Bonds).

I love baseball. My dad and I used to watch the Braves play almost every night during the summer.

Anyway. Not sure what I'm saying. I can only pray that the truth about Bonds' guilt or innocence comes soon. I would love for this achievement to be pure. It would be a disappointment to me and every other baseball fan if Bonds turns out to be a cheater.

Pete Rose will most likely never be inducted into the Hall of Fame. He broke the rules and bet on baseball. Not only that, but when he was caught, he LIED about it for years and years. I was beginning to believe him about his innocence, until the day he finally admitted he actually DID bet on baseball. What as asshole (pardon my french).

So, that's my baseball sermon for today. Records are made to be broken. But I really hope that they're done legitimately.

Yes, More Archery Pictures

We had an archery tournament this weekend. Cora and I both did pretty well. Cora set a new state record, so we were all pretty excited about that.

Here's a couple pictures. Check out my new high-speed quiver!

It's been a rough month...

First of all, we've been really busy. Vacation Bible School, other activities, archery, etc. This summer has been one of the busiest I've had. I enjoy being busy, but I also enjoy having absolutely NOTHING to do.

I've been having trouble sleeping. I miss my dad. During the day, I can keep busy and not have to think about how July/August of 2005 was when my dad was here dying of cancer. But at night, I can't stop thinking about it. Maybe writing about it will help get it off my chest. I usually have upbeat posts here on my blog, but I guess a blog is supposed to be for anything, right?

It just seem so unfair. Of course, I know God has a plan for everyone, and I'm not supposed to even begin to understand why He takes certain people and not others. I trust in God's wisdom, even if I don't understand it or even like it.

There are things I'm grateful for. I'm grateful that I got to spend 5 weeks with my dad before he died. We didn't speak much, but we didn't have to. Just being with him was enough. Sometimes I feel guilty for having to put him into a hospice, but doing that was a good decision. I could not have taken care of him properly here at home. I couldn't lift him or safely get him out of bed. I don't think he would have wanted me to have to perform the duties that are necessary when someone is close to death. The hospice nurses were wonderful with him, and he even flirted with them while he could. I was there every day. And I truly think he didn't want us to be there when he died. That's just how he was.

My dad taught me some things as well. Going through that experience has taught me some things about myself that I didn't know. I'm strong. I can get through anything. Even when I'm scared witless, I can still face whatever obstacles this life gives me. My dad would be proud of that.

Anyway...I know this is a rambling post. If you got this far, Bless you! I really needed to get this out.

Have a great weekend!

PS...has anyone seen my mojo???? :)

He Restoreth My Soul

Nothing like a week of being surrounded by 300 kids who are excited by the word of God.

Like anyone else, I get run down by life. There are times when I'm not as faithful as I should be to God. I get jaded by things I see and hear. I become cynical. This past week at Vacation Bible School has restored my soul. Watching these kids jump, sing, and praise God has been a wonderful renewal for me.

I thank God for the gift of humility as I jumped, sang, and praised God right along with them.

Summers have been a bit hard for me since my dad died. This week has given me the push I needed to get back into church and to realize that life is good. The little things are what matter. Smiling at Sarah as we sit on opposite ends of the church. Hugging Cora as we pass in the hall on the way to snack. Witnessing God's work on all those kids. Priceless.

God truly does work in mysterious ways.

Lazy Days of Summer

Not! We've been crazy busy! This week is Vacation Bible School. I'm a leader, and both the girls are going as well. We're having a blast, but man, it's tiring! Tomorrow is the Ice Cream Social and the music program. The kids get to sing all the songs they've learned this week. I always love VBS.

I've been shooting a lot, trying to prepare for a tournament on August 4-5.

School starts on August 29 for me, and the girls go back on Sept 4.

I've been such a slacker with scrappin'. I haven't created a page in about two weeks! GASP!!!

Last weekend was spent reading a certain 7th book of a beloved series. Absolutely loved this book, and am rereading it to catch the stuff I missed!

Happy Day Before The Fourth Of July!

I can't believe it's almost July 4th already. This year is flying by so fast!

I guess tomorrow we're going to the parade in the morning, then to a cook out at family's house. Should be fun. Then we'll mozy on over for the fireworks. I LOVE going to the fireworks. Not sure why, but I feel really "American" watching them. Call me crazy.

Bow is fixed. Phew! The limbs were all crazy unaligned, so we had to totally re-tune the thing. PITA! Anyway, all is well as of this moment. I'm sure when I plan to go to another tournament, everything will fall to pieces again. I'm going to Indiana with a couple other shooters in a couple weeks for a tournament. I think it's going to be so much fun! Andrew will be staying home with the girls. Woot! Girl trip!!

Question:

Is there a book that you can read over and over again? My "re-read" book is The Black Swan by Day Taylor. It's a historical romance, and I just adore it. Not sure why, but I have to read it about once a year. It's gettin' to be about that time, too! :)

I'm also really staring to like books by Anne McCaffrey. She writes science fiction stuff. I'm not usually into science fiction, but her stuff, I like.

Welp, I guess I gotta bounce. Have a great day, everyone!

Of All The Days...

Of all the days my bow can choose to take a crap on itself, it chooses Saturday. I shot in a state tournament this weekend, and it was horrible. Couldn't hit anything. Same thing on Sunday. I shot about 300 points below my average, so it's an understatement to say I didn't do well. I think my bow tweaked itself, which is not uncommon. I'll be up at the club tonight trying to figure out what the heck happened. The arrows were just flying straight left out of the bow, so you should have seen the body english I was trying to pull off to hope and pray they would at least hit the bale. Ugh. I was bummed. Ok...enough lamentation on my shizzly showing at the tournament.

Cora, however, did really well. She shot in a division that's one age group above where she usually shoots, so she shot with the big girls. Imagine this little peanut of a seven year old standing toe to toe with 12 year olds about 8 inches taller than she. She's got spunk, that's for sure. She shot a personal best, and took fourth. She was a tad disappointed not to win, but I think she learned a lot shooting against competition. She's got many years ahead of her.

Anyhoo...today is a day of rest. I've been sitting on my badonkadonk, reading Harry Potter and The Order of The Phoenix. Gotta bone up for book 7!

A Beautiful Day!!!

It's gorgeous outside! High of 83 today and a blue sky above! Perfect day for shooting! I have a tournament this weekend that I need to get ready for. Only thing is, my shoulder hurts a bit. We'll see if shooting will aggravate it or not.

The laundry fairy is on strike again. She's such a skank! :) Guess I'll have to get it done myself. Not what I want to do today, but we have to have clean skivvies, right?

Oh yeah! I think I forgot to mention what happened to our car weekend before last. Everyone was in town for Lara's graduation. Well, Andrew's sister borrows our car to go see their dad. She didn't know that there was a big rock at the end of our driveway and proceeds to drive right over it! She was mortified. Not a huge deal, just a dent on the passenger side of the car, right under the door. She then drives over to her dad's and parks on the side of the street. Some punk kid backs out of a driveway and drags his backend across the entire two doors of the driver's side of our car. THEN he took off. Luckily someone saw him do it, and he was called back to the site. Andrew's dad took his sweet time calling the police, and the kid said he had to go to work, so Andrew's dad let him leave. Sigh. PLUS, the punk kid gave them bogus insurance info, and somehow, no one thought to get his license plate number. Geesh...accident info 101!!!! By the time all this happened, Andrew got over there to his dad's and talked to the cop. The cop was NOT happy that the kid was allowed to leave and that there was no license plate number to track the kid down. Geesh. What a SNAFU. So, now we're waiting to find out if we can track the kid and see if he has any insurance (Michigan law requires that ALL cars be insured). If we can't find his insurance, we'll have to make a claim on our insurance. Figures...the punk kid will probably get away with this, and we'll have to make a claim and possibly have our insurance rate go up. Gotta love it.

Anyway...enough ranting for me. Here are a couple layouts I did recently.

Toodles, everyone!

Lazy Sunday

Sarah woke up this morning with a stomach ache, and has thrown up since then. Poor kid. Not sure what happened to spark this, but she's laying in her bed asleep right now. Hopefully she feels better by tomorrow, because her class is going to the Detroit Zoo.

School's out on Thursday. I'm ready for them to be out. So are they. I can tell they're getting tired of school. Guess I can't blame them.

Yesterday Cora and took a walk through a local nature trail. Of course I brought my camera.

My caddy...

Queen Of The Wood Chips???

We weren't able to stay long; the mosquitoes ruled that nature trail. Guess that's summer for you. We stopped by the library before we left (the trail is right there next to the library) and Cora got The Island Stallion by Walter Farley. So far she's really into it. The summer reading club starts on Monday, so we'll see how many book the girls can read.

Oh yeah! Y'all have to check out Twitter. I've been having WAY too much fun playing with it the past few days. Simple minds, simple pleasures!

Toodles!

Coffee...It's What's for Breakfast

I never used to drink coffee. I'd hear people talk about needing that first cup before they could function for the day, and I'd think they were crazy. Now I know what they're talking about. Not sure if it's the caffeine I actually need, or the feeling of "grownupness" I have when I'm drinking it. I get my girls off to school in the morning and then I sit and drink a cup of coffee. It's totally a grown up thing. Despite my age, I don't feel grown up all the time. I'll be 31 in 20 days. WoW!

What a wild ride I've been on these past 31 years. There have been lots of tears, lots of hardship and lots of wonderful "take-your-breath-away" moments as well. Guess we have to take the bad with the good. I can only hope that my next 31 years are just as crazy and wild. That's what makes life worth living.

QUESTION:

What's the one movie that makes you cry every time?

Mine is "Phenomenon" with John Travolta. I can't watch it anymore because the part where dies with Krya Sedgewick makes me sob like crazy. I mean I'm crying hard.

There's also the episode of ER where Dr. Greene dies, and his daughter Rachel lets the balloons go after the funeral that makes me blubber endlessly. Not sure why these things affect me so much.

Anyhoo...just a bunch of ramblings from a coffee-drunk almost 31 year old. Enjoy your day.

This Weekend is OVER!

What a crazy weekend!

Andrew's sister Lara graduated from high school last night. Yeah, I cried. I was fine until they allowed the graduates to come to their families for hugs and stuff. When I saw Lara hug her mom, I was done. It was a wonderful night that made me remember my graduation. Such a milestone in a young person's life. Everything is ahead of her, and she's in for the ride of her life. Very exciting and scary at the same time. The most awesome thing was that she had all her siblings there to see her receive her diploma. That was her wish.

Two Rows of Family!

How can you beat that??

Walking to her seat


The Recessional



Lara and her mom

Anyhoo...the weekend is over. Lara is officially an adult, and she'll be going to Michigan State University in the fall. GO STATE!!!


This weekend was also the State Shoot at the archery club. I was there working registration all weekend. Very tiring, but a lot of fun watching them shoot. Sunday it rained, but they stayed out there shooting anyway.

Dude, Where's My Mojo???

Ugh. Ever since my computer died, my creativity has been zip. Zilch. Nada. I've been trying to make layouts in GIMP, but I'm not sure what's up. I just don't feel it. Maybe it's the gorgeous weather we've been having, and I want to be out shooting. I've got an "archer's tan" on my arms. Heheh...

Andrew got some really good shots of me shooting the other day.

Nothing fancy, just some shots to check my form. It's hard for me to actually know if I'm doing something different or tweaking something with my shot, so photos help me to see what I'm doing as I shoot. Purty cool.

For Memorial Day we hung out at Andrew's dad's house. Grandpa showed the grandkids how to play Crochet.

Sarah's awesome cupcake frosting mustache.

Have a great day, everyone!!

Wow...Wednesday already?

This week is flying by! Yesterday was a GORGEOUS day with temps in the 80s . I was in heaven. Today is more of the same. I'll be outside shooting all day! Woo hoo!!! I got my new grip for my bow Monday night. I put it on yesterday, and proceeded to shoot a personal best. Guess the grip works, eh? Yeah...ok...no more archery talk for now. I'm sure you're all bored to tears. But I love it. This may come as a shock, but I'm not much of a "people person". Archery allows me to become encased in my own world for a while, not worrying about what else is going on around me. The bubble, as some call it. For the most part, it's a one-person sport, and I guess that's what I like about it. When I screw up, it's myself I blame.

Anyhoo...

Just got the girls on the bus, and I'm sitting here drinking some coffee. I'm almost done with laundry!!! I have a couple more loads to wash, then it's time to start over again. Ugh...where's my laundry fairy when I need her? Prolly in the bathroom drinking a margarita. Where's my margarita??? It's 8:35 AM here, but I bet it's 5 O'clock somewhere! :) It's the perfect day to be under a palm tree hangin' on a hammock. Ah...to dream...

Ok..back to reality.

Woo! My Puter is Mostly Working!!

Dontcha just love it when a plan comes together? Well, sorta together. I'm able to get online and stuff. I am running Linux, so Photoshop and Hello are fighting the installation. We're trying to get them to run, but it's proving difficult. Luckily, Linux has GIMP, which is a program similar to PS. I've been playing around with it, trying to figure it out so I can SCRAP!!! I did a couple pages, but I still feel awkward. Not sure how the pages are turning out. *I* like them, but that could be me being goofy.

Anyway...here's one.

I'm finally getting all the photos from our Traverse City trip situated. They're mostly of the girls playing in the sand. They had a blast doing that, so I figured I'd get some shots.

Here they are running to the water when we first got there:

Cora at The Mackinaw Brewing Company for lunch:

A really cool boat on the Lake:

Sarah enjoying some one-on-one time with the beach:

Walking across the street on the overhead walkway:

Also, here's my sister-in-law, Lara, who's graduating on June 3. Ain't she a cutie?

She's goin' to Michigan State in the fall!

Ok...I'm out.

Almost Friday!

Yeah! Heheh...Not that Friday is some big huge day around here. I don't even get to sleep late Saturday morning. Andrew and I are going to a tournament that starts at 9 AM. So, I'll have to drag my butt out of bed at 6:30 to get ready to go. Luckily the girls are going to their Aunt and Uncle's house for Friday night. We'll have Friday night to ourselves. :)

I'm still without my computer!!! This is torture! The motherboard and processor came Monday, but of course the power supply and video card we already have doesn't fit with it. Grrr...so we had to order those and they should be here tomorrow. Man, I've been going through SERIOUS scrapping withdrawals! I haven't made a page in over a week!!!!

So, I'm reading Wicked by Gregory Maguire. It's about the life of the Wicked Witch before Dorothy came to Oz. It's very interesting, and a pretty good read.
I'm almost done with it, so I need to find another book to read. Any suggestions? I'm impatiently waiting on Harry Potter 7 to make its appearance. Maybe I should read the first six again to refresh my memory on what's going on. Yeah. That might be a good idea! I've only read them a million times already...but I seem to find something new I missed each time I read them.

Ok. Enough rambling from me. Later!

Giveaway!!!

This is too cool...go check out The Everyday Digital Scrapbooking Idea Blog for a chance to win a copy of Scrapbook Dimensions magazine!!!

Freaking Computers...

So, my desktop has been having "issues" for a while now. It decided that the week I was in Traverse City was the week to explode. My motherboard is toast. Luckily, I am married to a techno weenie, and a new motherboard plus accessories is out for delivery on a UPS truck.

Saturday Andrew and I are going to shoot in a tournament, and the girls are going to their Aunt's house for the day. It'll be my first outdoor tournament, but I'm excited. I got really sunburned yesterday. I hate when I do that.

For Mother's Day, I got breakfast in bed. French Toast with strawberries and whipped cream. Also, I got bacon. Surprisingly, bacon tastes awesome when combined with french toast and whipped cream. I was in heaven. I did have to fight the girls off the bacon, though. I love Mother's Day.

Vacation, Baby!

I'm in Traverse City, MI. We're in a condo right on the shore of East Traverse Bay, which is a bay off of Lake Michigan. The girls are having a blast getting sand in their hair and walking around in the shallows. It's been beautiful so far, and hopefully it stays that way. Tomorrow I plan to take the girls to Elk Rapids and walk around the town. It's a cute little town right on the Lake. They've got the best Cajun restaurant called Pearl's New Orleans Kitchen.
Wonderful food!

Unfortunately I didn't bring my memory card reader, or I'd have photos to share. I might just go buy one tomorrow.

Poor Andrew is home all by himself. He's been spending most of his free time up at the club; big shock there. I did bring my bow with me, and might go to the local pro shop here in town and utilize their indoor range to shoot a few arrows. I'm supposed to be shooting in a tournament on the 19, so a week of no shooting won't bode well for my score. We shall see.

Ugh. I have no scrapping program. It's 10 at night ,and the girls are SUPPOSED to be asleep. Now would be a perfect time to scrap a page or two. Instead, I'm watching Man vs. Wild. This guy has no sense.

Welp, I'm off to get my bottle of wine busted out.

Man I Love You Tube!

Check out the gem I found this morning on You Tube! I used to LOVE me some New Kids. They rocked!

School's out for me! I took my last final yesterday, and I'm SO excited to finally be done for the summer. Now I have to get my house cleaned...it's a mess.

Next week the girls and I are going to Traverse City, MI for the week. My mother-in-law has a condo there and we're gonna spend a week on the shore of Traverse Bay. Woot!

My sister-in-law's Senior prom was Saturday. I went with her and got some shots of her and her boyfriend before the dance. This is the third year I've done this for them. Here's a shot I just love. I love her expression as he kissed her.

Welp, I'm off to clean the pigsty of a house. Later taters.

Lake Michigan

I was going through old photos and found this shot. I played with and came up with this. It fascinates me.

A Paper Tear I Made

So, I was playing with my scanner the other day, and made this paper tear. Thought I'd throw it out there for anyone else who wanted to play with it.

Download Here