a confession & a card

I must confess...I think I have a problem.  While cleaning out my craft room, or at least attempting to, I have come to the sad realization that I am more of a supply hoarder than an actual scrapbooker...sad, I know, but so, so true.  It would be different if I actually used the supplies, but in all honesty I haven't created a card or layout in an embarrassingly long time. 

My plans are to remedy that in 2012.  I have started Project Life and plan on incorporating many of my on hand supplies into my album.  I also plan on getting back to regular scrapbooking.  Going through my pics of 2011 I found so many that I would like to create a layout for...now I just need to get it done.

I can't say that I won't be buying new products...I am a kit subscriber at Studio Calico (love, love, love), those Elle's Studio tags are constantly calling my name and the new CTMH Idea Book is filled with some great must have goodies (you can check it out over on my sidebar).  I do want to focus though on using up what I have.  So my first attempt is a card I made for JT's basketball coaches this year.  He has had a tremendous season and has grown so much as a player.  His coaches are wonderful and work so well with the boys.

Inside I stamped the team name and 2012 and had all the boys sign it.  We took up a collection and will be presenting the coaches with gift cards at the last game.  I am so sad to see this season end.  JT truly enjoys playing and looks forward to each game and practice.

Thanks Coach Supplies:
Since I am using up my supplies, most of what I have used is no longer available.  If CTMH, I have indicated that as (ret).
Sketch - Mojo Monday #198
Paper ~ You Rock Level 2 Paper Packet (CTMH - ret); White Daisy Cardstock (CTMH); Dutch Blue Cardstock (CTMH)
Stamps ~ A Little Everything (CTMH - ret); Let's Play Ball (CTMH - ret); Alphas (CTMH, incentive, ret)
Ink ~ Autumn Terracotta (CTMH); Black (CTMH)
Other ~ Pop Dots

The Christmas cards are done

Modern Christmas Christmas

Seasons greetings with personalized Christmas cards from Shutterfly.

View the entire collection of cards.

Every year I tell myself that I will have the pictures done and the cards out early.  Every year I wait until the last minute and end up paying extra to get them to me so I can mail them out in time for the 25th.  But, every year, I don't really stress about it.  It seems more and more people are opting out of cards (evidenced by the decreasing number we receive each year) or sending them late like me.  I attempted to print at Walmart, CVS or Walgreens this year to save postage and take advantage of 1 hour processing, but wouldn't you know it none of the designs worked right with my pictures (mostly orientation issues) so I went with Shutterfly because I usually have good luck with their quality and shipping speed.

So, for those of you not on my mailing list (which I have paired down this year as well).  Please enjoy our Christmas card and have yourself a merry little Christmas.

Tracy

PS - I am working hard on my December Daily and hope to take a break from baking, cleaning & wrapping some time this week to post my first few pages.

PPS - Shutterfly is not endorsing this post nor have they asked for my opinion.  I did receive a $10 credit from the site for opting to embed my purchased card onto my blog, I am pretty sure anyone can receive this by doing so as I had the option after my purchase.

how can it be?

how can it be 9 years since....

i brought this beautiful child into the world....

i received the most precious gift a mother could receive...

my family became complete?

how can it be 9 years that I have....

loved every single second of being your mom...

watched you grow....

watched you learn?

how can it be that you never cease to amaze me of....

how compasionate you are

how loving you are

how wonderful you are?

i couldn't have known 9 years ago where this road would take me

but i am so glad that it took me on your journey and

i can't wait to continue down this road with you.

happy 9th birthday bubs!

i love you with all of my heart and am so proud to be your mom.

compromise?

We are in the process of looking for a new family dog.  We lost Sammy almost a year ago and I think we are all ready for a new member of the family.  The problem is we can't decide on what kind to get.  Bob wants another lab.  Sammy was a yellow lab, and I just don't think I can go there...unless maybe it was a chocolate lab, which seems to be the only one we can all comfortably agree on.


The kids and I are pulling for an Old English Sheep dog, but Bob is totally against it.

{source}

I could go for a Golden Doodle.  I am sooo in love with my bloggy friend Meg's dog Waffle.  But the boys don't want a golden doodle and I think Kelsey only agrees with me because having a dog named Waffle is kind of cool.

Now they are trying to convince me that we should get 2 dogs...a big one and a little one.  I really don't think that is going to happen.  I do not want to own a small dog.  I think they are cute, and love to look at them when other people own them, but I am not a small dog owner kind of person.  For me, the bigger the dog, the better.  The bigger, fuzzier, crazier the dog the better (which is why I am so in love with the OES)....when we first started looking I was bent on a Newfoundland...that is my kind of dog.

Kelsey wants a Maltipoo so she can put pink ribbons in its ears...ummm cute, but no.



{source}

 She also wants a bunny and would trade a dog for a bunny eventhough she really wants both.

Since my criteria is for a big dog with large paws and she wants a bunny...I think I found a compromise.


{source}

Seriously, I think a chocolate lab it will be (or maybe a chocolate doodle)...with big furry paws...I'm just saying.

snow much fun & tasty treats

It's April 1st.

It's snowing.

Really?

We are 13 days into Spring here Mother Nature.

I do love snow.

I love to ski.

I love snowmen.

I love winter.

But winter is over.

Enough already with the snow.

And since I haven't yet shared the pics from our day of sledding during February vacation, I felt that a snowy day in April would be the perfect time.

I loaded 4 kiddos in the car and went to a local golf course with a great hill for sledding.  We spent most of the morning sledding and had the hill to ourselves.  I happened to spot a 4 person tobaggan in the garage before we left...lucky find, it was perfect!


The conditions on the hill were good.  A bit bumpy for my taste, although my body's jiggle factor is a bit higher than the kiddos...if you know what I mean.  I was able to make a few runs down, to pull the little ones up, but thankfully they decided to walk (err...crawl) up themselves (or at least with just a little help).



Erica decided that she really didn't need a sled and proceeded to roll down the hill...like 100 times.

While JT and Abby found an icy patch and flew down on the double sled again and again then tried sledding down on their bums...which worked too!

We were treated to a fly over...thank you 104th!  The kids thought is was their own personal airshow.

When it was time to leave, not everyone wanted to go...although, some were more vocal than others....

and every snowy day deserves some yummy treats



grab a beer and look what I did last week {Mar 20-26}

This was supposed to be grab a beer Sunday, but since blogger was being difficult...grab a coffee and check it out (since it is probably a little early on Monday to grab a beer...or then again...)





***After you have checked out my week...click the button above and see what everyone else did ***

Got my Irish on while marching in the St. Patrick's Day Parade with the kiddos on a beautiful sunshine filled first day of Spring!

Endured the cold, wet, slushy snow the very next day (really???)

Received some happy mail to brighten my cold Spring day!

She has so many fabulous necklaces to choose from...check it out here.

experimented with my Panini Press (can we say grilled wraps...yum!) and my instagram app

banned this from the house (after I ate most of it)...evil, very evil

stuck my finger tips 1 million times with a needle that I couldn't thread to save my life while sewing patches on JT's Cub Scout shirt.  Went to Walmart mid patch to buy a sewing machine that is idiot proof  (because I can't figure out how to use the one I have) and had to listen to some pathetic story about how they have 2 in stock but they are out in a trailer behind the store and could I come back tomorrow?  Ummm....no, the patches need to be sewed on today.  Went back home...minus the sewing machine...and stuck my finger 1 million more times, but finished the shirt in time.

Filled the rest of the week with the 1001 things that moms do everyday because we are moms

loved it all

the good

the bad

and the ugly

because to me, I have the best job in the whole wide world

I will take the ups and the downs

cuddles, love, hugs and smiles are the best rewards!

shenanigans

Impromptu photo shoot

turned silly

turned out of control

no one was hurt in the making of this photo shoot

it was fun

we laughed

but I never did get a photo good photo of them together

oh well, I love what I did capture

the wearing (& eating) o' the green

St. Patrick's day is a well celebrated holiday around these parts.  I am extremely proud of my Irish heritage and while I try very hard to have my kids embrace both sides of their heritage (my husband is Slovak) the Irish just seems to win every time.  I like to make it fun around here come the 17th, but not too crazy (because afterall we are lucky enough to be Irish all year long).

Yesterday was no exception, starting with a visit from our friendly house leprachaun who visits each St. Patrick's Day to perform silly little shenanigans in the house (our leprachaun DOES NOT leave gifts...that is reserved for Santa and the Easter bunny).  However, our leprachan does turn things green...like the toilet water and our milk.

Our food tends to turn green as well.

Especially when you have cute little leprachauns in training mixing up your pancake batter

yummy breakfast fit for a leprachaun

dinner in the making

 Those were supposed to be rainbow waffles.  I got the idea from Kelli over at Random Thoughts of a SUPERMOM!  I saw them and just knew I had to make them they were soooo cute.  Let me rephrase that...Kelli's were sooooo cute, mine on the other hand looked like a tye-dye expirement gone horribly wrong.  The kids at least liked them, and appreciated the effort.

it just isn't St. Patty's day without a Shamrock Shake...then again, it really hasn't been a day in March around here without a Shamrock Shake. Hey, they only come around once a year, I think I can justify the excessive consumption (read - obsession) with that point alone.

and because the Shamrock Shake was consumed with dinner we had to have dessert too! Once again, Kelli came through with a great idea for me with her Leprachaun Jello...this one actually came out perfect and was really, really yummy despite being made with lime jello 

in my opinion, it just isn't St. Patrick's Day without a corned beef sandwich...

since I don't like waffles I skipped them and got my corned beef fix

(since no one else here will eat it anyway...really, they don't know what they are missing)

Hope your St. Patty's Day was full of Shenanigans!