Random Summer Stuff

My life is starting to get back on track... we are going to be living in a brand new apartment at Jeremy's dad's house within the next month or so. I cannot WAIT to get back to stamping and card-making... I tear up a little every time I think of all my stuff sitting in a storage bin in California. LOL

Anyway - for now, here are some pics from the Summer. These first ones are from my birthday (August 6) - this is me, Missy, and Patty:

My friend Dave and me (we've been friends since we were about 15):


Me and Mis:

Me and Tanya:

Me and my guys - Jeremy, Dan, and Tim:

This was from another night out - Tracie, Kerry, me and Beth:

And these are my 2 sisters-in-law, Kelsey & Brittney - I just love them:

I will have more to share soon - although I am extremely grateful for all of the help we've received, I am REALLY looking forward to getting back to some normalcy and having my own place again.

Peace.

First Day of School

No matter how miserable or depressed I am, no matter what else is going on in my world, this is what keeps me going, these kids right here:

This is Trevor (above), he's 17 and today is his first day of his SENIOR year. I'm so excited for him and proud of him. He's smart, handsome, and caring - he has a heart of gold. To me, that means a lot. He's the one who doesn't like to see me cry, so I try not to let him. He wants to fix all my problems, and that's a big burden for a kid - even an almost-grown-up-kid. :) I love him with all of my heart and he has really helped me get through the past few crappy months.

And these beauties are my daughters... LOL... Jamie and Cassidy. Cassidy is on the right, she's 15 and my "real" kid - Jamie is her BFF and my 2nd daughter, she'll be 15 in a couple of weeks.

They are both sophomores in high school this year:

They are my clowns, the ones who make me laugh when I feel like crying. Cassidy is at "that age" - she can be a wretched, rotten teenager one minute and a complete sweetheart the next. LOL But I wouldn't change a thing - she is my "mini me" and I don't know what I would do without her. I simply adore her.

I just dropped off Cassidy & Jamie and now I am off to bring Trev to school - then I am going to my friend Missy's house to lay in the sun by her pool for the next 6 glorious, quiet, kid-free hours! Peace.

Change of plans...

Sometimes life just throws a curve ball at you and you have to deal with it. Sometimes you make plans and they just don't work out - and sometimes even though that happens, it actually works out for the best.

California did not work out - we never made it. It's a long story and I'm not going to get into it here but suffice it to say we will remain in Massachusetts. But we didn't know that until everything we owned had already been shipped... so all of my stuff is in a storage unit 3000 miles away. *sigh* Can I just tell you that I tear up every time I think of my stamps... my paper, my colored pencils... OK and my kids' baby books and photo albums... I just have to remember that I'll have them back eventually. Anyway, we had already given up the home we rent, so we're currently staying with Jeremy's family. I'll fill you in more on that later, but I wanted to share some cool pics I had taken with my awesome new camera at my parent's pool in early August.

This is Papa - he's my dad. He got the kids involved in a ball game in the pool that turned into a competition of who could catch the ball in the air or by doing funky jumps and stuff, it was a fun day. :)

This is my nephew Eric, he's 19, doing a flip into the pool - and this was my first time using the action mode on my camera, so you can press the button continuously for consecutive shots, it's really cool:

Same thing with my daughter Cassidy, she's 15:

Eric walking on water? I knew he was good, but... LOL
Being silly:

Eric falling into the pool - hee hee:

This is my other nephew, Josh, he's almost 13:

Love that smile:

 Soooo - I am not sure when I'll be back to blogging/stamping, but hopefully not too much longer. The kids go back to school on Wednesday - Trevor will be a SENIOR and is so excited to graduate, and I am so excited that he'll be graduating from the school that has been so very good to and for him! Cassidy will be going to the school that she wanted to go to and is going to have to BUST HER BUTT this year, and she knows it and seems willing to do it. She's a sophomore, 10th grade. I'm just trying to stay positive about life - people keep telling me what doesn't kill you makes you stronger... I just want to say "OK OK - I am strong enough now! No more!"
But as the song says - I WILL SURVIVE. Stay tuned for future updates. Peace.

Moving!!!

Just a quick note to let you all know that we are moving across the country and the moving truck picks up our belongings today. We leave on Wednesday for the drive from Massachusetts to California. I will be taking a short break from making cards during this time as we settle into our new home. I hope to be back in a few weeks. I will be blogging along the way, mostly with pictures... wish me luck!

Peace.

Fab 'n' Funky - Buttons & Bows

I can hardly believe it, but the moving company comes one week from today! That means I'm going to have to pack up my stamps and stuff this week, so please don't forget about me while I'm gone! :) I hope to be back and participating in challenges in a couple of weeks.

For now, I'll try to get as many challenge cards done before I pack as possible! Today's card uses the cute kitty Mavis (from Stamping Bella) and is for the

Fab 'n' Funky Challenge - Buttons & Bows

I used Stampin' Up! brads, ribbon, cardstock, and DP in Pretty in Pink, Old Olive, and So Saffron. Buttons are from My Favorite Things. Mavis is colored using Prismacolor colored pencils blended with Gamsol - I have always colored Mavis in gray shades, so I decided to switch it up a bit and try brown - I think she's just as pretty in brown, don't you?

Hope your week is off to a good start. Peace.

Girls' Weekend Getaway to Cape Cod

Can I just tell you that I had the best weekend EVAH? OMG - my cousin Angela, myself, and our friend Missy - we planned a beach trip, girls only. We went to the Riviera Resort in South Yarmouth, MA and it was just gorgeous. This was our room - when they say your room is "on the beach" they really mean ON THE BEACH:

This is the expensive bottle of tequila that Ange brought, along with the adorable shot glasses that Missy brought:

The view of the ocean from our little porch/deck:

Me and Ange:

Me & Mis:


Missy & Ange, getting ready to cut limes for our tequila:



Mis & me wearing the sombreros that she brought for us.... hee hee:


Just me, with my "margarita"... LOL:

The 3 amigos...

We had such a good time, it was awesome. Angela and Missy both have little kids at home, so for them it was nice to get away from being "mommy" all day long - especially at the beach. Normally, they cannot really relax at the beach, you know? My kids are older, so it's admittedly easier for me to get some "me time" if I need it! Anyway, we all appreciated our weekend away and we belly-laughed so much that our stomachs hurt. We made lots of memories and I will never forget it. xoxoxoxo

Love you girls, and thank you.

Peace.

The Pink Elephant - Monday and Wednesday

I made 2 cards for the

Pink Elephant Challenge #77 (a sketch challenge)

This first one uses Monday from the Greeting Farm:

I used SU! cardstock, ribbon, and DP in Pumpkin Pie and Not Quite Navy.

And for this next one, I flipped the sketch onto its side and used Wednesday from the Greeting Farm:

This time I used Stampin' Up! colors in Real Red, Cameo Coral, Summer Sun, and Basic Black. The sentiment is torn out of something I had in my stash... I forget what you call that paper, it's like opaque and you can get it plain or with stuff printed on it? Shoot - what the heck is it called? LOL

I'm off to spend the day with a friend - hope you are all enjoying your Summer.

Peace.