The One With A Few Pages

So Blogger was really, really cranky yesterday! I ended up pasting in my own HTML but I'm so glad it is functioning again properly! The last time I remembering this happening was several years ago and it took a full week for it to be fixed!

I took advantage of the again-working features to upload a few layouts to share with you. While I am not a chronological scrapper, I have been doing two layouts with every kit so that I can print them in a neater fashion. The idea isn't mine, I totally borrowed it from Vanessa (nesser1981). I love the way her books looked with the kit continuity.

I finally got around to using this Dani kit I bought what seems like ages ago:




and I used this kit from Fee. I had so much fun with it!


I've been trying to make time to scrap every day and it helps me feel not behind. I have given up on the thought of ever going back and getting "caught up" since I had a five year old when I started scrapping, but I've been staying on top of my current month or two of photos which is nice.

Till tomorrow, friends!

The One With The Fridge Project

The One About Tabatha

Today my big sister turns 30.

She's sad, but there's nothing to be sad about.

For 30 whole years, she's been blessing all of the lives around her.

I want to tell you about Tabatha.

Tabatha and I are very close in age. As a matter of fact, in one year and three weeks I will be turning 30 myself ;)

When we were very very young (3 and 2) our parents divorced and we were split up. My mom married a military man and my mom, stepdad and I traveled the world. Tabatha stayed in Kentucky with our dad. She was raised by our grandparents and set down strong roots here in KY.

We knew of each other but never were able to see each other until we were 17 and 18 respectively.

Wow. I know huh? Not a lot of people know that. It's no secret, it's just that it doesn't come up in common conversation.

We have spent the last 12 years making up for lost time!

We are about as close as two people can be.

And here are a gazillion reasons I love Tabatha.

1. Because even in 1998 we were a TON alike. We had never grown up together, but we liked the same things, said the same things, and wanted the same things.



2. Because she forgives me when I chase her around the apartment with a butter knife.



3. Because she loves my friends.

4. Because she loves my kids.

5. Because she gives good kisses ;)
6. And she puts up with me making her take photos with me.




7. She is very patient!



8. She is honest. Amazingly honest. One time, she had stopped working for a company. Six months later they sent a check for a recent holiday, one that she hadn't worked. Did she cash it? No, it wasn't her money. Did she send it back to the company? No, she didn't want to get the person in trouble who had accidentally cut the check. She just simply shredded it. I've just never met someone so honest and concerned about others.

9. She is shy. Soooo shy. Like will let me talk on the phone for her shy.


10. She is SO funny. She can make me laugh when no one else can.


11. She wants everyone to be happy. If you are having a down day, she does anything she can to cheer you up.


12. She is an amazing scrapper. See her Gallery if you don't believe me.


13. She has experienced more pain in her 30 years than some experience in a lifetime, and she doesn't complain about it.


14. She didn't grow up with a loving, soft mother figure in her life...and yet she is the most loving and softhearted person I know.


15. She puts up with Me. Enough said.


16. She is old enough to be jaded....by love...by life....but not hard enough to have given up on it .... on love.... on life...


17. She is a REALLY good cook!


18. She makes no excuses for who she is.


19. She takes care of two special needs children...day in and day out, and only grumbles a little.


20. She'll share anything with anyone. Except she won't share Oreos. But can you blame her?


21. She sings. Often. Loud. And Pretty Good!


22. She'll drop what she's doing to ride to the store with me. In her jammies. At midnight.


23. She lets me call her "hooker" and doesn't bat an eyelash.


24. She's ever the peacemaker.


25. She is the most fun to be around!


26. She can down a margarita better than anyone I know.


27. She doesn't watch scary movies when I'm around.


28. She goes without so that she can provide for her kids.


29. She forgave me....for that one thing I did that one time...


30. Because I could write 30 more things....(yes, I made this cake for you. Sorry it doesn't look prettier. I'll be upstairs with it in a little bit...along with your birthday donut!)

The One With The Zoo!

Going to the Louisville Zoo was one of the most pleasant experiences I've ever had! The animals were interesting, the husbands and children behaved themselves ;) and the rain stayed away!



the kids were so excited!


the orangutan was my personal favorite!



the zoo had a gigantic playground that we let the kids play on at lunchtime. I'm not sure what this pouty face was about but it sure was funny!


Julian's looking at him like, "what's he doing? there's too much excitement to fall asleep!"

Naomi couldn't see anything unless someone picked her up of course! She alternated riding in the stroller and walking by herself, and spent plenty of time on Papa's shoulders, or being held up, stroller and all.

We saw so many cool animals and had such a good time...but I figured I had better keep the post manageable so there are 7 of my favorite photos of the day.

I still love the Cincinnati Zoo for the manatee building, but the Louisville Zoo was fun too!

*blog accessories for this post from Sherri Tierney's Gone Wild Kit at Elemental Scraps*

I hope you all have a great day!

The One With An Independence Day Recap

So I finally got around to going through some of my 4th of July photos! I have so many it was hard to pick...and I only whittled the list down to 10...so you'll have to imagine the fireworks we set off, k? (They were pretty.) ;)

Here are all of the kids in their getups. Photos are difficult with this many!



the babies were ready for a nap. we were grilling lunch and trying to have them wait it out!
we let the older kids play with sparklers...they really enjoyed it!

we baked yummy cupcakes!



and this pinata was the hit of the day (excuse the bad pun). But it was!




We really had a very enjoyable day at home despite the on again/off again sprinkling. I hope you had a pleasant holiday!

I have zoo photos to show you tomorrow...I'm going through them and they are SO cute! Today's plans are fairly low-key so I should have time to get caught up!

Until next time friends...have a great day ;)

We Interrupt Your Regularly Scheduled Summer Programming....

I have taken over 1,000 photos this week bloggers! I am going to catch up with you on a personal note tomorrow....but for this moment I'd like to interrupt all the fun to share with you a freebie and some new releases! Here are some new templates from us! (there is a HOT freebie in our newsletter this week, btw!)



And a new mini kit at a mini price too:




Here's a new collab we did with our friend Danimoy...


And a freebie for you as well!




Click HERE to be taken to our shop!

Click HERE to download the freebie alpha!

And...brace yourself for all of the excitement in tomorrow's post...I bet you'll feel like you were at the (insert activity here...zoo/fireworks/splash pad) with us!

Until then, have a fantastic day, my friends...and I'll chat with you tomorrow!

The One With Stinky Insomnia

Happy Sunday, bloggers!

I have a ton of photos to share with you, but I probably won't share them until tomorow!

On Friday we took the kids to see Ice Age 3 and went back to the Mill St. Splash Pad. I got some pretty cute shots of them!

Today we had a great Fourth at home. We grilled, played with sparklers, smashed a pinata full of candy, played in the pool and set off fireworks before bed.

However, I have been quietly suffering with some cruddy (non serious) medical junk that I haven't been sharing...and I'm on a hefty dose of steroids right now...complete with a steroid injection last night...which means---NO SLEEP!

I'm trying to go to sleep because we are getting up early tomorrow to take the kids to the Louisville Zoo. (okay, okay...I know what you're thinking. Don't they ever stop?) But hey, it's only summer once a year :) It's a two hour drive to the closest zoo (same distance to the Louisville Zoo or the Cincy Zoo and we've been to Cincy Zoo a gazillion times). So off to Louisville we go....

But I'm going to be tired from the Steroid-Induced-Jittery-Can't-Sleep-No-Good-Insomnia.

The upside is... I'll be back on Monday with lots of pics!

The One With A Splash :)

We had a blast at Kentucky Splash today! Despite slathering on SPF 50 over and over, I somehow feel a little pink this evening anyway...which means tomorrow I'll probably be grumpy and burnt!

My wonderful husband has agreed to let me sleep in tomorrow (9 a.m. here I come) so I figured I'd blog this evening! The photos really tell the story so there's not a lot to say, but here are the highlights of our day (before I tucked the Canon safely away in a locker so I could quit fretting about ruining my camera and start enjoying the day :-) ... )








Tomorrow we are going to see Ice Age 3 and possibly revisit the splash pad...you know we have to wear the kids out every day! I hope you have a great day!

The One With The Splash Pad!

So we had this hairbrained scheme to take everyone to the splash pad in town the other day. We loaded up 3 adults and 6 kids and hoped for the best! Well of Tabatha's kids the only one who really had fun was Tristan and of mine, the only one who had fun was Nathan. We were 2 and 4, but it was worth a shot!

We decided to just take Nathan and Tristan back next time!



I think the photos pretty much tell the story. I couldn't get any photos of Naomi or Parker in the water because they were too grumpy! But hey, at least I tried! :-)

Tomorrow we are going to Kentucky Splash with just Nathan. I told him yesterday and I'm pretty sure you could all hear him squeal...wherever you are! ;)

I'll be back on Friday with the full report ;)

The One Where Parents Snap

So, it's summmer....and I'm not sure what that means at your house but at our house it means a LOT of family activities.

And with a lot of family activities come a lot of parental insanity. Well, maybe not for everyone...but for us, when you have such a wide age gap between your kids, it makes it hard! Nathan is about to turn 9...and he wants to do "almost 9" year old things like bowling and bumper cars. Parker just turned 1 and he wants to do "just turned 1" things like play in the sandbox and poop in his diaper. It's hard to find things that they both enjoy.

Yesterday we went to the splash pad and I thought that would be enjoyable for everyone....but alas only Nathan enjoyed it. Parker and Naomi were NOT impressed.

Don't tell him but I think we're going to take Nathan to a water park on Thursday. We've given up and decided that the only way to please everyone is to please them separately. Naomi and Parker will have to stay with Tabatha. They'll have more fun at home anyway ;)

This is what happens when you take a 1 year old bowling:



When we went to Gatti Town Nathan said "Momm! Mommmm! Mommmmmm!" one time too many.

Ok so you know I'm just kidding. No children were actually harmed in the creation of this blog post. But the outtakes from our family outings are just too good to not share ;)

Till tomorrow, friends!
Toodles!