Just can't keep up with this old blog

I'm not sure why I've barely been blogging this year, or back even longer than that. I'm thinking it's mostly Facebook's fault!

Anyway - this is what we've been up to:

The first weekend of March, we made a weekend trip to Mobile for my sister-in-law's baby shower. Here's the girls - Grandma, me, Jamie, Amanda and Debbie



(wow, I really needed a haircut!!)

Then in the middle of March, Cole had Spring Break. Right before Spring Break, I turned in my notice at Michaels. I really liked my job, but just had some issues with my hours being cut so much (a three hour shift? are you serious) and there were some management changes that I just wasn't happy with. Here's a few shots of our Spring Break:



A little Rock Band is always fun!



We spent a day at Oak Mountain exploring and hanging out together as a family! Had a great time!

I also did a little crafting in the past few weeks - mostly baby shower stuff. I showed you the canvas I painted and the diaper cake, then I made a feather boa wreath, some onsies with ruffles on the butt's. I also put the babies name on a metal pail (her first Easter Basket, maybe?) I made another diaper cake this past week for an order and then one for my cousin, too. I also did more ruffled onsies for my cousin. I'm a little tired of diaper cakes and onsies!!

I've got two layouts waiting for photos - I'll get them posted this week. I just picked up my pictures today. A few weeks ago I did a remake on some binders for church - I've been carrying the same one for a year and a half. I loved my houndstooth binder, but it was time for a change. So here they are - one for my, my mom and my cousin:



Like I mentioned, I've been using mine for over a year so the pockets are a bit stretched out - my pen keeps falling out, so I punched holes through the front of mine and ran ribbon through, made a bow and left enough slack inside to hold my pen! I added my initial and the butter fly and flower cut from vinyl with my Slice.



Mom makes cakes - amazing cakes, and cookies and cupcakes - so I thought this paper was perfect for hers. Her initials are cut from brown vinyl.



And my younger cousin is a Bama fan. She wanted houndstooth and black and red. So the back is black with white polka dots and red with tiny white dots. I cut a vinyl chandelier and her initial for the back. Totally forgot to take a picture!!

Hmmm, what else?

Oh I got my haircut last Friday - finally!! It's been way too long. (the hair and the time since my last haircut) This is the only picture, where you can see my hair, taken at the baby shower this past weekend - not a great shot, but it's all I've got!!



Okay - time to go fix the Colester some dinner! And then watch Idol!!

A fun idea:

I saw this on Michelle's blog - and she got it from somewhere else - I just wanted to blog today and couldn't think of anything to say - so here it is:

I am.... really sleepy this afternoon and can't get Cole to take a little rest with me!

I think.... I need to go do laundry.

I should.... be starting the baby gifts I have to have ready by Thursday.

I dream.... of having my own classroom.

I want.... to be skinnier.

I know... I must exercise for the previous "want" to work out.

I don't like.... that I can't drink more Diet Dr. Pepper each day.

I smell... my vanilla candle.

I hear.... Cole playing in his room.

I fear.... Cole's cancer ever coming back and the difficulties we have yet to face.

I search... for things in my Swagbucks toolbar so I earn more bucks.

I miss.... the sun.

I always.... tell Cole the same things before bed every night - he says it back to me like it's the last thing he wants to say since he says it every.single.night!!

I crave.... Chips and salsa. Sounds so good right about now...

I remember... All the fun time we had on our trip last week. I am so glad we were able to get away together.

I need..... to wash that gray right out of my hair.

I forget.... things at the grocery store, even when I have a list.

I feel.... excited about out anniversary this week.

I can.... sit of Facebook all day and play Bejeweled.

I can't.... be a 'my cup is half empty' girl.

I am happy.... hanging at home with my family - doing a lot of nothing!

I sing.... like I'm Carrie Underwood, when I'm actually more like the people the American Idol makes fun of.

I listen... to Rick and Bubba every morning!

I shop.... for bargains everywhere I go.

I eat.... ice like it's chocolate.

I love.... my life.

Spring is coming, right??

I'm so very tired of this dreary weather. It was nice to break out the flip flops and capris for a day. Now if we could get a week of flip flop weather, that would be really nice. Like next week, possibly? You know, while the kids are on SPRING BREAK! Why is it never warm during Spring Break?

Anyway, we've been busy around here. We had a baby shower in Mobile this past weekend for my sister in law. She's having a sweet baby girl in May. The shower was a blast - she got tons of adorable things. She liked the canvas I painted her and I was so worried she wouldn't like it or it wouldn't match perfectly. I always worry when I give homemade gifts. She loved the canvas though and the diaper cake and banner! I can't wait to go back to Mobile and meet little Ashlyn! But we've got to wait until May!!

In the meantime, we've got another baby shower in a little over two weeks. I have several things I want to make for that one. Just haven't started. We also have a baby shower at work next week and again, haven't started the gifts! Speaking of work - it's been crazy lately. Our assistant manager is out on maternity leave and we have someone else filling in. There's lots of stress and tension. Apparently sales are done, too - so hours always get cut when that happens. My hours are next to nothing now. I'm working three hours tomorrow - just three. I just looked at next week's schedule and I'm only scheduled one day. ONE DAY! Now, I did request Thursday and Friday off, but I should still have my regular Tuesday. But so far, I don't. I'm thinking maybe the schedule isn't finished yet? I don't know. I think my days there are numbered. I am now on the list to sub and will be printing some little cards today to take to the school with my name and number. Hopefully I'll get called to sub soon! I've been stalking the subbing website but haven't been able to get a day, but I'm only available Monday's and Wednesday's. So, that's a little too limiting I think.

Spring Break is next week for Cole and Jason. Of course, Jason still has to work most of the week, but won't have school Tuesday night. We'll have some good time at home I hope. We were trying to plan a trip somewhere. We have the hardest time planning vacations, unless it's a Disney trip. That's easy! We couldn't agree on any place. And if we thought of somewhere we both liked, there wasn't really anything we wanted to do there. The only thing we could both agree on is the fact that we are sick of our couch. So, we ended up spending our vacation fund on furniture. We picked out a couch, love seat, chair and a half, and ottoman. Our living room and den are next to each other and both rather small, so we don't have room to put all that furniture in one room, so it'll be split up between the two. We get the couch, Cole gets the love seat! One day we may change up the layout of the main floor and have a bigger living area and it'll all fit that way - together. But for now, Cole needs a room to play in. The bad thing is there are too many toys in the den - the are everywhere. Plus there's a giant closet full of toys. I really want to get rid of things but Jason likes the idea of keeping Cole's toys. I would like to pick out the special things that really were "him" and save them for his kids. But lots of things need to go. Cole's home sick today so he's already helped me clean up a bit of the mess in his room. We've filled two rather large boxes already! He's very willing to give things up that he hasn't played with in a while, and even compromised on a few things that there were two sets of. I'm proud of him for being willing to give some things away.

He's been busy working on Cub Scout stuff, too. He got his first belt loop two weeks ago and will get a few more at the end of this month. He went fishing with the boys Saturday during the baby shower, so that belt loop is taken care of. He went with me to the library last week and got his very own library card, so that's another one down. And we did the family traveling belt loop when we went to Memphis. So, he's slowly accomplishing lots of important things in Cub Scouts. He likes it for the most part. The boys get a little rowdy some meetings though and he gets frustrated that it's loud. I refuse to give in to that though. I know it's too loud sometimes, but not all the time. I also bring earplugs, just in case. But, I'm hoping he'll continue to adapt to loud noise. I don't expect him to want to watch the fireworks at Disney with no headphone, but it's just nice that he's doing thing without them more and more. When he first started Karate at five, he had to wear earplugs. By the time we stopped taking karate at the last place, he wasn't wearing them. He doesn't cover his ears in class much anymore. So, we'll take the baby steps! You've got to start somewhere, right?

Okay, I'm done rambling on. Off to chill a bit since I don't feel so hot - and Cole seems to be fine, just playing away (while coughing, of course). The rain may force us to take a nap today though. That would be nice!

I've been creating up a storm

So last Sunday I went to Sips and Strokes with my cousin and two of her friends. It was my first time and it was great. I really enjoyed it but wasn't a 100% happy with my canvas. Here it is:



Here's the one I did this weekend:



I like the second one better - the houndstooth actually looks like houndstooth. Now the real question is which one do I keep and which one do I give away?? I think I have to keep the original and make just work on fixing the hat!

Here's a canvas I did for my future niece:



Ashlyn's planning to show up in May. We're heading to Mobile this weekend for Jamie's baby shower. I can't wait. Lots and lots of pink!! Ashlyn's comforter has tiaras and ballet slippers, hearts and stars - so very sweet!! I hope it will match. I also just whipped up this, this morning:



For the baby shower, and then it should match her room afterwards too!! I made a banner too but don't have a photo of it yet - I'll snap one this weekend though - when we hang it for the shower. It's made out of butterflies (thanks V for the idea) and I sprayed them with glimmer mist and added Ashlyn's name then strung them on ribbon.

I have about a million other things I wanted to make, too - but so far, haven't accomplished them. Here's hoping I can get it done!! I have three baby girl baby gifts and showers this month. Only one weekend is shower free!! I have some really cute fabric and onsies that are just waiting for me to ruffle!! Cute pink ruffles on the butt of a baby - doesn't get much better than that!!

Here's one last thing I finished this weekend - I did this for Jamie's birthday:



I hope she'll like it. I just labeled a few pages with things like: the apple of our eye, welcome sweet girl, cute as a cupcake, so berry sweet, our cutie pie, etc.

Oh, I can't wait for this sweet girl to show up so I can take pictures of her for her mom to put in this little album!!

Okay - I'm outta here - Must tackle the mess that my crafting has left behind!! I think Jason suspects he now lives in a craft store, instead of our home!