aaaaaaaaawwwwwwwwwww

Seriously Lucy is a doll. She is so cute. I took this top photo today (and the similar bottom one) and the one where she is in the saucer last week.
And of course - Alden with his Buzz Lightyear. To say he LOVES Buzz lightyear is a understatement!































And one more thing. I read a wonderful post on my friend Heather's blog and she is participating in a challenge that the wonderful Rhonna posted on her blog. About the 21 day challenge to start a habit. To change something or start a new one. And Heather's entry really struck a cord with me. And then I went to Rhonna's and it really struck a cord with me too. So I am going to join up with this too. Tonight I am going to make my art journal for this - I already have my topic. My challenge. A huge one for me. Sleep. I want to be a morning person. But I am more of a middle of the afternoon kinda girl. I need my sleep and my kids are good about going to bed. I want to get up and do things in the morning and have some time with just Regan and I in the morning. I stay up too late.... And I always beat my self up over it. I lay there over tired and think I should have gone to bed hours ago. Well enough of that. 21 Days. I am going to put it to the test. And try and form a habit. To get things done.
Check out Rhonna's original idea and challenge here and see if you are up for the challenge too. To make yourself better. Improve. Since that is what this life is all about!





Oh and one more thing.... I wanna be a photographer when I grow up. It's my new idea.

a little something

I made a little something for my mom. A little mini album out of cardboard. Before you think "CARDBOARD"??? Why cardboard? Because. Yes it's a scrapbook! And I made it for my mom since I know she will appreciate the whole idea. I knew beforehand that she would be the perfect person to make one of these for. And you know what she said when I first told her about it "Cool" Not why cardboard or a hesitation. Just complete support. My mom rules! It's a 5 page mini album about the first time Alden got to hold Lucy and touch her in the NICU. I love the photos from it. It's made from Making Memories Patterned Paper, Heidi Swapp foam stamps , some Scraptivity brads, some acrylic paint, a cool font called Prissy Fat Boys and various ribbons. It was so fun. And seriously cost effective! :)

I went to a crop today - my first one really. I am a loner scrapper. Really don't live near a lot of scrappers that I know. I got two pages done plus this mini album for mom plus most of another mini album from our summer Whitefish trip with the Steed family. So even though there was a lot of creative memories kind of scrapping going on around me.... I got some good stuff accomplished!

And I got some awesome photos of the kids the last few days too so I'll be posting them soon too. But now... i'm off to bed!!!

Did I mention

that I LOVE Winners? Homesense. It has the BEST stuff there. Piles and piles of cute things at good prices. I went there on this past Saturday and when I walked in I remembered why I avoid shopping places. There are soooo many things to buy. It's a good thing that we are very serious about moving home this summer or I would have come home with a lot more than I did. I wandered around the store for probably 15 - 20 minutes. Caring more than the one thing I went in for. Then I put everything back except the one great find that I went in for in the first place. These. K&Company 8.5x8.x5 Linen Boxed Scrapbooks. They had them in Red (beautiful bright lovely red), Blue (bright), green (apple) and off white. I hummed and hawed about which color to buy.... and if I should get one of the 6x6 ones too. The price? $19 for the 8.5. And only $14 for the 6x6. Oh I wanted them all. Along with many other things in the store. I would even go as far as to say I coveted them. Yep. I reasoned down to the off white since I don't know what color our next living room will be. I am sooo happy with the one I got. And one of the albums is already mostly full. :) (I might go back for another one - they would make GREAT Christmas presents... if I start filling them now!) At the bottom is the photo of all the colors available from K&Company. Aren't they soooo cute??? What a find!

Sketch and new page

Each month a Scraptivity DT member draws a sketch and then three DT members make a page from it for the create section you can find it here. Feburary was my month to draw and therefore make a page using this month's kit with my sketch. Here it is. A page about my little sister Kelly. I love this photo of my little sister. I have a copy that sits on the my scrapbook table right in my bedroom so that I see it pretty much every day. It is small - but I blew it up for this. She was on a hike with some friends and someone took this photo of her on a mountain top. I love it.
I wrote this journaling one night rather quickly and wanted to put it in my scrapbook I am slowly doing about Kelly and I saw this picture in my room that night and knew they had to go together on a page. So here it is.

The journaing says: "I realized something today. I’m starting to forget. To forget the way your hair hung around your face. How light your freckles were getting as you got older. The blueness of your eyes. It’s fading. I wanted to smell vanilla. The smell of you. To see if it would bring memories back. The every day memories that keep you around me.
I saw someone and she made me think of you. I’m not sure why. She didn’t look like you. She didn’t talk like you. I can’t place my finger on why she made me think of you. Is that evidence that those every day moments are slipping away? I wish I could freeze them. The memories. The heart to hearts and late night talks. Me and you. Our bond. Something I’ve looked for in relationships ever since you died. How I judge others. Every thing is compared to you. Replaying things in my head. But between those replayed memories, the spaces are getting bigger. It’s only been five years. But those spaces are growing and that scares me. I want to keep you. If you can’t be in my life, I want you still in my head. In my heart. To be able to call up memories in a second. And remember distinctly what you wore and how you said it. How you had your hair. God saw it fit to take you home. And I have come to accept that. But even though your not here, I still need you."

A few days late....

but I wanted to say a happy Valentine's Day. We had a little V-Day party for Alden and invited his friends over to decorate cupcakes and trade valentines. We did it last year at one of the other kid's houses, and this year we hosted. It is just a simple party to celebrate love. Although more than one of the kids asked who's birthday it was. :) (Did you notice the blonde girl making a "scary" face? Emma wanted to have a scary face in the photo. :)
















We also got a nice little V-Day gift in the mail from Grandma and Grandpa Steed. Some treats and Canadian Olympic socks. Alden wanted to wear Regan's around..... and he was dancing in them. Love this kid!






















Also wanted to post a page I did about my wonderful Husband Regan. So many things go on in other people's lives, affairs, fighting, abuse. And I am so glad that I know nothing about how any of that would be. We are so happily married. That is such a big blessing in my life. I am still not sure what made me so lucky to end up with such a good solid guy. He is so good to me. And I am thankful. Every day I am thankful. I love this photo of Regan from our wedding. (Regan wanted to know why I used this photo again.... but he won't ever let me take more of him.) What a handsome guy I have. (No wonder I have beautiful children!) Seriously isn't he sooooo handsome! Hope you had a great V-Day!


























And a little photo of Alden playing in the snow. He has his dad's blue eyes!

4 Months already

Lucy is 4 months old now. I can't believe she is that old already! We had her 4 month check up and looks like she not only looks like Alden but is built like him too. She is 14 pounds and 6 ounces (around the 60th percentile) and 26.5 inches (off the charts for height). Tall and skinny. That's our kids. I took some great 4 month shots that I really liked. She is going great. And sleeping for like 8 -9 hours a night. Some nights longer. That makes her even cuter. :)

upset tummy

So two days ago Alden tells his daddy that he has an "upset tummy" and that he needs a band-aid on it. The next morning when he got up the first thing he asked for was his band-aid. (still on his tummy.) He wanted to see it. :) Reminds me of that Shel Silverstein poem band-aids everywhere.
And before you comment -although he is sucking in his tummy..... yes he is skinny. Skinny and funny.
R

a few things to share...

1. I have been doing my art journal online class (through shimelle.com) and I haven't shared any of my art yet. It is so fun to just be free in doing the art. I don't care if no one else likes it. Cause it's just about me. About what I feel. And I feel way less pressure in doing it. And I love that! So here are my first three weeks of enteries. (well the home one is just a side note on the week number 2. So I did that one too. I have one more to do today (already have my idea in my head) and then I will be all caught up for the next assignment on Monday. Cool.

Each week she sends you a pdf of your assignment and she is an amazing writer. She gives you a topic to create about. The first one was to introduce myself. The second was what have you always been. The third one was where do you wish you were. And the fourth is about corners in your life. Seriously Shimelle has amazing writing and the assignments are so cool that they get you to think about things. About who you are and where you have come from. I love it!



2. I have decided that Alden needs more exposure. More time with other kids. To see things and experience things. So this week I started doing that. On Tuesday we went to the Nova Scotia Museum of Natural History. They have the coolest exhibit right now about bugs. Huge bugs that move. And seriously mosquitos are SO GROSS. They had a huge moving one that showed you how they suck your blood. SICK. Of course Alden thought it was SO COOL. We went with a couple friends and that made it fun for all of us.





























3. Yesterday we went to the fire station. They just let the kids go in and sit in the trucks. Pretend to drive them. Alden was in heaven! It was so much fun. And he brought his best friend Fraser so that made it great too.
I got lots of photos of him. Not tons of great ones (he was too excited to stop and let me take his picture.) But it was so fun. We'll be back for sure.

















4. Today I get to go get a manicure. Regan won one through a conference he went to for work. (And he doesn't want to use it. :) ) So I am going to get my nails done. Kinda funny. The only other time I have had one was for my wedding. So it should be cool. I'd rather get a massage... but it was non transferable. Oh well. I'll enjoy this too.

Have a great day.
R

you know what Feb 1st means....

a new kit at Scraptivity. This kit is great. The stamps are so cool. They are buttons and stitching. How cool is that! The patterend paper from DasiyD is so feminie and vintagey. (If that's a word.)
So here are my kit layouts so far.....
Check out the layouts done by the rest of the DT at Scraptivity
They did awesome work this month!!! ( As usual!)

Have a great day.
R