It's almost the New Year and I am just now getting on here to upload my Christmas pics. It's been a busy couple of weeks even though I have been on vacation part of both weeks. We have also been battling the stomach virus (I had it Christmas Day) and both of the kids had bronchitis. But we are all feeling much better, so that's good. Don't want to ring in the New Year with the sickies!
We started our Christmas celebrations on Christmas Eve with Bryan's mom and Dad, brother and sister and law, and my mom. She joined us this year for Christmas dinner and presents.





Then, the children woke up around 7:30 or 8:00 ready to see what Santa had brought them. Carley was already awake at 4:30 after she heard "Santa" eating the cookies and drinking the milk. She ran into the bed room hollering, "Momma, Momma, I hear Santa." I told her we couldn't go see til it got daylight. So, she went back to bed with no fuss! I had to sit at the top of the stairs to watch them open their gifts since I had been up sick most of the night! Bryan was a trooper and took care of all of the pics and opening of the gifts. He even cleaned up some afterwards!




Then the Saturday after Christmas, we celebrated with my family, my uncle Pete, and Savannah's boyfriend Michael.
Here's Michael, Colby, and Austin:





Here's me and Bryan:

My sister Melinda and her husband Pee-Wee

And last but not least, Michael, Savannah, and Colby:

I will be back to upload some scrappy projects! I've been quiet productive this weekend. It really helped that I got to Guest Design at Scrapbookers Clubhouse
using the beautiful Crate Paper Prudance kit on pre-order now for January! I hope you all had a wonderful blessed Christmas and I wish you a happy, safe and prosperous New Year! See ya soon!

I have been trying for the past week to get our family pic made in front of the tree. Sadly, we haven't had a family pic made since Carley was 2 yrs. old, except for the occasional snap shot at birthday parties or the beach. It also doesn't help that Bryan loathes family pics. He hates having his picture made for any reason. It also didn't help that my good camera tore up on me a few weeks ago, so I had to pull out my old digital camera. Well anyway, we survived and here are our pics:






I have more to edit and upload so be on the look out for those!

I've spent most of the day preparing for our Thanksgiving dinner today and reflecting on all I have to be thankful for. I have a wonderful, loving husband, two beautiful children who are my joy, a wonderful, supportive family. I have beautiful friends, both here and on the net. I have been blessed with my dream home in a wonderful neighbor that my children will love growing up in. My husband and I both have steady jobs that provide what we need. I also get to work and stay home with my babies. We are all healthy and thriving. I am a saved, sanctified, filled with the holy ghost christian who is in love with my Savior. He has blessed me with so much more than I deserve. I have so much to be thankful for. We are having Thanksgiving tonight with my family. My family and I have been through a lot the passed few years but I know that we are getting better and moving on to a restored, healed life together. God is so good! I can't thank Him enough for all he's done for me.
Speaking of my cyber friends, I have received tons of kudos from them the passed couple of months. You can view them here and read all of the wonderful comments they have given me on my scrapbook creations:
3 Scrappy Boys
Not A Happy Camper
Scrapbooker's Clubhouse
Boy on a Mission
Remember Dec. 25th 2002

Where the Wild Things Are
Card Set
You all really know how to make a girl feel good! :)
Paper Popsicles and 3scrappyboys both hosted holiday crops the passed two weekends. Here are some creations I made from that:






I also altered these boats to hang on Gavin's wall in his bedroom!

I entered these in the December Guest Designer Contest at Scrapbooker's Clubhouse and won! So, I am their Guest Designer for December. I am so excited! This will be my first time to design with them again since I was on the design team last year! I am so looking forward to it.
Gotta go finish up Thanksgiving preparations for tonight! See you all later. Happy Thanksgiving!

SCRAPBOOKER’S CLUB HOUSE ANNOUNCES:

THE NOVEMBER 2008 “CHALLENGES BY DESIGN” COLLECTION!

November 1, 2008 will bring a “Challenges By Design” Collection to Scrapbooker’s Club House.

We can’t wait to reveal the challenges that the SBCH Design Team has planned for November!

Come over to the Club House and see what the Design Team has in store to challenge you and get your mojo goin’! You’ll be getting layouts done and cards made…Isn’t that what it’s all about?

Come join us and be inspired & challenged: meet new friends, too. We’re the friendliest scrappin’ spot on the ‘net and for your convenience, we have a fully stocked store just stuffed with scrappy goodness!

Here’s where to find us: http://www.scrapbookersclubhouse.com/home.htm

And here’s the Challenge Forum: http://www.scrapbookersclubhouse.com/forum/phpBB2/viewforum.php?f=13
The Scrapbooker’s Club House store: http://www.scrapbookersclubhouse.com/oscommerce/catalog/

I hope everyone has a safe and happy Halloween tonight. We took the kids trick or treating last night. With the ball game and my two sisters in nursing school, we decided to get all of our festivities over in one night. We took the kids to family members houses for candy, then took the to the trunk or treat at an area church. They also had the Fall Fest at the Elem. School but we didn't have time to get there before it was over. We ended up at my in-laws house for supper and were all in bed by 9pm! Carley was a tiger, complete with an orange and black tutu, and Gavin was Spiderman, of course! We also took our nephew Matthew. He decided to wear a bloody skeleton mask that scared Gavin the whole night! They all had a great time though!






Aunt Cindy came over Tuesday night and brought a Halloween Gingerbread house for the kids to decorate! Carley was quiet proud of it. As you can tell, their Aunt Cindy spoils them greatly!

Tonight we will be taking it easy and handing out candy to trick or treaters who didn't go last night! Happy Halloween to all!!!!!!

It has been awhile since I've updated! I've been so busy getting stuff ready for the booth we had at the Fall Fest this past Saturday. We really had a lot of and enjoyed meeting everyone. Then, my computer mouse was on the fritz! Bryan fixed it last night, Thank goodness! I am so glad. I've missed all of my cyber friends. So, I am here finally getting Gavin's Birthday party pics uploaded. He had a spiderman party at the park. I wish you all could see him shooting his web! He is soooo funny! He goes around shooting his make believe web at everyone who crosses his path. Here are some pics I took from the party: I am really super excited that we finally got a decent family picture taken!





Today, I get to submit my projects for my opportunity to be Guest Designer at Paper Popsicles. You can view my guest designer gallery starting tomorrow. You definitely want to pick up this kit. I have had a blast working with it. Melissa really knows how to pack a box full of goodies and at prices that can't be beat! Here are a couple of sneek peeks:


I'll be back later to post my projects in full after tomorrow, so be sure and visit again soon! Happy Monday!

Last night, while I was scrubbing Gavin's head (he still gets cradle cap), Gavin's nose started bleeding. Carley walked in because she heard him crying from me scrubbing his head and told me about his nose. I didn't realize it was bleeding at the time. She ran and got him a bath cloth for me to clean him up and was hugging him and talking to him to get him to calm down. His nose has been bleeding for no reason here lately and it really scares Carley. I didn't realize how much until I went to tuck her in later on last night. She was laying in her bed with a sad look on her face. I ask her what was wrong and she said, "Mommy, I just prayed for Gavin. I prayed that God would heal Gavin's nose so it would not bleed anymore. And I'm gonna hold on to my pray real tight cause I know sometimes the devil gets our mind off of our prayers and makes us drop them. But I'm not going to. I'm gonna hold on to my prayer, Momma, cause I know God will answer it." By the time she was finished, I had tears in my eyes. Not just because she loves her brother so much, but because she had reminded me that often times I get discouraged and drop my prayers. I remember some very dear saints of God talking about holding on the horns of the alter until they received their breakthrough. I think sometimes God is sitting up there wondering how bad we really want it. How bad do we want that loved one to be saved or how bad to we want a healing in our marriage? How bad do we want our country saved and our economy to grow? Are we willing to hang on to our prayers and pray without ceasing until we receive our breakthrough? I know I have been wanting to see God do things in my life, for my marriage, for my church, but I haven't made it a priority to pray without ceasing or hold on to my prayers until I received my breakthrough. But, Carley reminded me last night that our time on this Earth is limited and it's time to get serious about what we want to see God do in our lives, in our homes, in our country. It's time to hang on to our prayers and stop letting the devil lie to us until we are to discouraged to hang on anymore. Because actually our prayers are our promises from God. He's already made those promised to us and He is not a God that He would lie. I thank God for my Carley, that she has a love and a belief in God. That she has faith, the child like faith we are all suppose to have to see things change in our lives. I know that from now on I will hold on with all my might, expecting and believing and praying without ceasing for what God has already promised me. I am will also be back to report on Gavin's nose bleeds. I have a feeling that Carley's prayer will be answered!

It was a busy weekend for me this week. Friday night was scrap night. I just wasn't in the mood to scrap and only got one page done! Now I want to scrap and don't have time...Go figure. Saturday morning was Carley's cheer competition. They did such a good job! I am so proud of them. Here's my little cheerleader:




After competition, Mom and I took Carley to her favorite place to eat...McDonald's. We ate outside and she played on the playground. It amazes me how she never meets a stranger. She knew the names of and was playing with all of the kids before we left. She definitely takes after her Daddy. I love it that she can make friends so easily.
Saturday night was the Calendar Girl Pageant. I am not one who is too crazy about pageants. I don't really like that they are judged on beauty and I didn't want Carley to feel like she was not pretty enough if she wasn't picked. It would break my heart if she was upset or felt she was second best. When Carley came to me about wanting to be in the pageant, we had a long talk about it before I let her do it. I explained to her that being in a pageant was about having fun and I didn't want her to be upset or feel bad about herself if she wasn't chosen. She assured me that she wouldn't be upset at all. So, I agreed to let her be in it. So, she asked my nephew Matthew to be her escort. This was the first pageant Carley had been in since she was a baby and I think I was more nervous than she was. She did a great job and she looked so pretty. We had so much fun curling her hair and putting on her make-up.
She really had a great time and wasn't upset at all that she wasn't picked. I was so proud of her. Here are her pics from the pageant:





So, now we have the homecoming parade and Gavin's birthday party to look forward to so I'll be back later this week with more pictures to share with you!