Mama's Home

I just arrived home yesterday from my fun scrapbooking weekend in Seattle with my good buddy, Tracy. We had a blast. It was completely exhausting though. We didn't sleep much.

(excitedly leaving Alaska!)

We arrived late Wednesday night and got up bright and early for a full day of class. Our first day we made a complete 12x12 album from 9am to 5pm. We ran off to find some dinner at Red Robin then hurried back for a another "preview" class at 6:30. This class wasn't very interesting so we ducked out early and drove home and went to bed.

(fun class)

(boring class)

Our next day started even earlier but we had most of the afternoon off to go shopping at the outlet malls with my Mom, my mom's friends Annie and Vivian and Tracy's friend Cheri who drove up from Vancouver to hang with us. We shopped until we dropped and then Tracy and I picked ourselves back up and headed back to scrapbook from 7pm until 11pm.

(late night scrappin like gangstas)

Saturday morning we were able to sleep in a little before getting up to have breakfast with mom and pops, JR and Kate. Then we were off to class again. Both our classes on this day were taught by celebrities! First was a camera class taught by photographer Erin Manning who has her own show on HGTV and DIY. I won a copy of her book as door prize and she signed it for me. I forgot to get a picture with her even though my camera was sitting right with me. Later, Tracy bought her book and then tracked her down to get it signed. She convinced her to sign it to "her favorite student."

Our second class was taught by Mandy Douglass who was the 2008 Scrapbooker of the Year for Creating Keepsakes. She had us create a mini album called "A Peek Into My Week." And we took advantage of the photo op this time. Also, a couple of old friends from high school were in this class with us! Jessica Williams and Rachel Murphy. They invited us out to dinner with them to the Cheesecake Factory with more members of the Cedarcrest High School Class of 1996. Jera and Alisha.

(With Mandy Douglass)


(With Rachel and Jessica)


(At the Cheesecake Factory with Jessica, Jera and baby Reed...


...and Rachel and Alisha.)


We rushed out of dinner and back to scrapbooking for the last event of the weekend, the Send Off Saturday Night Crop in the Hilton Grand Ballroom. Jessica and Rachel joined us and we scrapped the night away and laughed hysterically at the humiliating things some people will do to win prizes.


It was a late night and when we got back to mom and pop's house, we had to creatively pack all the stuff we had accumulated over the weekend. We arose early to catch our Sunday morning flight. Pop's detoured us to the airport via downtown Seattle so Tracy could see the sights. Unfortunately, thick fog prevented us from even seeing the water over the side of the floating bridge.

At the airport we had to pay for an extra bag and an overweight bag. We had a lot of scrap crap. We made it home safe and sound and my kids were so excited to see me arrive that they wouldn't even let me get in the front door. Hugs and kisses from sweet babies are the best part of coming home!

Oh. And my camera broke so these may be the last pictures you see for a while. Boo!

Does everyone miss me yet?

It has been an incredibly busy several days around here. Nothing really important going on, just lots of busy stuff and running around. Right now I'm procrastinating the preparations for a party I'm having tonight. I just can't seem to fight the urge to jump on the computer rather than bust out the 409 and clean like I should be.

Tomorrow I will be 100% focused on preparing for my trip to Washington which commences on Wednesday evening. I.CAN'T.WAIT. It will be a whirlwind trip, most likely ending before I realize it even began but the anticipation is almost as much fun as scrapbooking for three days straight will be.

I wish that there would be time to visit a few (hundred) people but I can't stay any longer than I think my husband can tolerate being Mister Mom. I'm already going to be gone one day longer than last year and I'm scared for him. He seems excited though. He did request that I lay out clothes for the kids for each day that I'm gone, as well as plan a menu for them. I'm tempted to "forget" so that he can get the full experience, but since he's going to read this, I'll be good.

Okay, off to clean.

My one and only mention

Since everyone is dying to know what I'm thinking (ha!) I'll just say this.

I'm not surprised.

I'm apprehensive (still not convinced that telling the bad guys exactly when we are leaving is an altogether healthy idea) but I'm hopeful. Ugh, why did she use that word?

At the very least, when he fails to meet up to all the hype maybe everyone will realize that ALL politicans suck. Even the ones who talk real good.

This is why I hate red pasta sauce.

I recently got a new dining room table and chairs and while my old set was upholstered and in severe danger of imminent ruin from a drop of red pasta sauce, my new dark wood unupholstered chairs were hardly in peril.

In my exhuberance though, I neglected to consider the garments my child was wearing when he picked up his fork and dropped his ravioli onto his chest where it promptly rolled into his lap, leaving a trail of vicious red stain on the way down.

And even that was nothing compared to what he would then do to his face. Or his hair. Or the inside of his ear.





And Jordy is finally able to wear the new winter coat that Grandma and Peepaw bought for her. We had to do some serious car seat strap adjusting to get this bulky pile of nylon and human child secured safely in her seat. We laughed as we drove her to gymnastics, as her eyeballs were the only thing on her entire body that could move. But she sang and told us stories all while trapped tightly in her new warm fuzzy coat.

More Halloween

Here are the pictures from our Friday night trick or treating, costume party extravaganza. We went out with a huge group and brought down utter devastation to every candy bowl in the neighborhood. We probably only stayed out for fifteen or twenty minutes because it was very cold. 12 degrees.

Here we are about to hit the road. All geared up with our Christmas trick or treat bags.






R2D2 didn't really know what was going on. At the first house he walked inside and prepared to make himself at home. Once he realized that people were putting candy in his bag, he was all for it.


He's turning into a pro now!


It didn't take long before Jordy was freezing and had to wear my coat. Someone answered their door and asked her what she was supposed to be and she said, "Princess Leia!" And they looked at her very skeptically. So we started calling her Little Red Riding Hood.


A rare photo of Jake. I couldn't keep up with him because he was running with the "big kids" and I had a couple of clumsies to mind.


Daddy and Jordy walking through the frigid cold. Daddy brought glo sticks. LOTS OF THEM.


This is a fraction of our group. We were a force to be reckoned with.


Partying back at the house. This is Courtney. She is dressed as a Sarah Palin fan. I made the shirt *wink*

Halloween

Finally getting around to posting these. I'm exhausted from coming down off my sugar high I guess. These are the costumes. I'll post pictures of our evening asap. But right now there's a butterfinger that is calling my name.

Princess Leia (It came with a wig but she wasn't having it.)


R2D2 (Who new a robot could be jewish?)


Obi Wan

You may have noticed the snow boots? That's because it was 12 degrees out that evening.

I can't believe I'm having to post another entry like this one. I just heard the news that my cousin Tom and his wife, Joy lost their sweet baby girl on October 26th. She was one day old. My heart aches for them. Please keep them in your prayers. I can only imagine their pain.



Jana Lilia Stewart
Oct 25, 2008 - Oct 26, 2008

Baby Jake

This is a video of Jake when he was nine months old and we were visiting Washington. My friend just recently sent this to me and it made me laugh.

My kids love to read. And they love new furniture.

Baby Kit

I recently ordered the Baby Kit for scrapbooking from the one and only Becky Higgins. I thought it would be helpful in getting myself caught up with all my baby albums (I have three and none are complete) and I was right. I ripped open the box spread out all the awesome "stuff" and completed Jordan's album in one night. It's awesome that all I have to do now to finish the boys' albums is flip over the pink stuff, the blue is on the back! Here's one of the pages I did last night. These are my only pregnancy pictures with Jordan. Kinda sad that you can barely see my belly in either pic.

Pumpkin-y

Today I decorated pumpkins. I'm not one for carving, don't like to touch the guts. But I do love pumpkins all over the place in the fall. So I make them pretty instead.