Two "Great" Ladies

Here it is....my Jessica Sprague class is officially over...sniffle, but this is my final week 4 layout that took me about a week to have time to do it!

I like how it turned out...it's about two "great" ladies..my grandma Norris and Aunt Carrie, the girls' "great gramma" and "Great Aunt."

Here is the journaling: They are two special ladies in Catie and Anna's lives, Great Grandma Norris and Great Aunt Carrie. A nice springtime visit found the girls enjoying the sunshine with Gramma on her front porch...Aunt Carrie stopped by and took them on an "adventure" around the nearby backyards. Two "great" ladies, for sure!

It has been an extremely busy past week...and I got sick to boot...bleck. Nothing like holding out, sickness free the whole winter, then getting sick after unseasonably warm weather in April! I have horribly swollen glands...the doc has me on amoxicillin, claritin (could it be allergies after all these years of never having them?) I am NOT convinced, but I'm taking the claritin per doc's orders..we'll see--anything to feel better.

Catie is like my little nurse when I came home Monday feeling horrible. She curled up on the couch with me to watch a movie while Rob got dinner ready. (thank goodness it was his day off from work--I don't think I could have functioned without him) She took a napkin and got it wet under the faucet for me to cool off my head, and she even packed me a little baggie of raisins to bring to work in case I got hungry...her words to me "Mommy, I'm always here for you!"

It was a rough night last night for sleep....Anna was up for an hour from 2:30-3:30 a.m. or beyond...every time we tried to walk out of the room, she ended up wailing and would not stop screaming. She wanted to sleep in our bed...which I hardly do, but after walking back in there about 3 times, I reluctantly brought her in. She was hitting my nose, saying "hi, Mom" and Rob couldn't take anymore and hauled her off again to her crib, with her screaming. I went in ONE more time, and then she finally drifted off...ugh. It will be an early night!

Missing You

Hi Dad...

I'm sitting here just before midnight...and when I wake up in the morning, it is amazing to think that its been 20 years since April 22, 1988 and I was an 18 year-old girl--coming down the stairs to go to school, and instead being greeted by mom and Rev. Mitchell giving me news that no one ever wants to share. Mom tells me I must have known inside--because she had to call me so many times to come downstairs that morning...it is only now that I am married to Rob, with our two beautiful girls, that I can only begin to understand what mom was going through...not knowing how she could be strong for Matt and I when she had just lost you, her husband and true love.

44 years-old was way too young--it hits me harder as I grow closer to that age. You were just starting to live. Luckily, I feel like I can still hear you talking to me if I listen really close, or feel your hug if I close my eyes. It pains me to think I can't always hear the exact sound of your voice anymore or to know what you would look like now--as Catie and Anna's grandpa at age 64.

But I do know that you love them so much--and I told them tonight when Rob and I brought the girls to visit you--that they can hear you say "I love you" if they close their eyes and they are really quiet. Wasn't it endearing when Anna said, "Grandpa is up in the sky" and Catie spread those beautiful flower petals from the tree across the way for you to enjoy? It was nice just to take a quiet walk around the cemetery, and feel you with us--it was a beautiful evening, huh? In 20 years, I've never thought to bring my camera to your grave, but it just felt like a natural thing to do--so I could take a photo of the girls and grandpa.

I love you Dad...thank you for watching over us for all this time. If we could spend just one more day with you--how in the world could we fit in everything that we want to share with you?

Would I choose a sunset motorboat ride along the still waters surrounding SchoolHouse Island with you? Or to go back in time to have you there for my wedding to Rob and Matt's wedding to Stacey--so you could sit next to mom and hold her hand to share the moment your kids married their true loves?

If I had to pick just one thing... more than anything, I would want to introduce you to these two little girls--who will always know how much Grandpa Gabbey loves them.


Miss you so much-love, Jul

Summer in April

I'm sitting down to put my feet up after a beautiful weekend of outdoor play! It was in the 80s all weekend! It is only April...wow, a wonderful spring treat for us, and the girls took advantage of it! Both Saturday and today, we went to their favorite spot of late...the school playground. (it was just razed and re-built last summer) I took an early morning walk with Catie yesterday, what she likes to call "Mommy and Catie" time...and we ended up at the playground for a 1/2 hour--and then I got home and Anna was done with breakfast with Daddy--so I took her for a walk,( and we ended up at the playground again!) so Rob could do some yardwork. That is a tough thing to do with an almost 2 year-old...much of anything resembling yard work, or home improvement--without one of us watching her! :)

Yesterday afternoon, Mom and I took the girls for a short trip to see Great Gramma Norris and Aunt Carrie, too! It was a nice visit...the girls wanted to go outside, so Gramma went out on the porch and watched them. The coloring they are doing in this picture didn't last for long!


They explored the yard, and Aunt Carrie went on walking adventures with them.

I took some photos that I plan to use for my week 4 layout for my Jessica Sprague Digi In Deep scrapbook class! So, I'll share more later this week!

Catie our Bookworm
She is just 5 and 1/2...and she is still in pre-k...but our Catie is reading so well! Her interest began in the fall--asking how thing were spelled, or what something said. Rob worked with her a lot with flashcards from Gramma G.--and both of us helped her sound things out a lot. Within the past month--she has really blossomed into our little bookworm! At Sunday School today--she read part of the bible story like the kids 3 years old than her! Rob and I are so proud of her. Tonight, when I walked by her bedroom door after tucking Anna in..Catie has her little flameless candle that she uses to read and her Junie B. Jones book ..and she was reading out loud to herself. I just stopped and smiled as I listened from the hall...just so sweet. She goes to her kindergarten screening next month!

This is Me!

I can't believe a whole week has passed by since my last post--but I've been busy creating! I was taking two digital classes simultaneously...my Jessica Sprague "Digi: In Deep" class--and also the organizing class for digi scrappers...the second one is now over--but I have a lot of organizing to do!
It is a bit of a relief to be back to just my Digi In Deep class to concentrate on! We're in the 3rd of 4 weeks--and here is this week's creation--focusing on me! Wow..it was a fun assignment, and very time-consuming and challenging! I spent a lot of time this weekend trying to get a photo of my pointer finger in focus, and the rest of me blurred in the background-and even "fingerprinting" myself and scanning it in for the layout!The photos are : What I do, Where I am, What I love, and then What I hope, which says: I hope I can always live each day in the moment, raise our children to change the world, and grow old with my husband.

The weather here has been amazing the past couple days--and I was lucky enough to have Wednesday off! Rob and I took the girls to Strong National Museum of Play--and it is school break here--so it was packed! We stayed for 2 hours--a benefit of having a membership--you don't feel like you have to get "your money's worth." It was the perfect amount of time...then it was home for lunch--and some outdoor play time!

Rob also helped me with a photo shoot for my layout above...I was on a quest for a photo of me and the girls! Here are a few of my favs!




Funny of the week:
Catie and Rob were talking during lunch last week and she mentioned she was tired. Rob said, "daddy knows what you mean--I never get to go to bed until 1 in the morning."
Catie: Daddy, maybe you should get a new job!
Rob: What kind of job do you think I should get?
Catie: How about a construction worker?
Rob: no, I don't think so..
Catie: How about a truck driver?
Rob: hmm...I don't think I'd like that...
Catie: Then how about you be a superhero!

Then & Now

I did it! After staying up until 1 a.m. on Thursday morning...I finished my second lesson in my Jessica Sprague Digi: In Deep class! It was a really fun lesson that had me searching for the perfect photos of Anna as a baby and along with a recent one..a fun trip down memory lane. We had to blend the old and new photos together...and that part of the lesson took me all of Tuesday night! I originally started with two different closeup photos of Anna, and when Rob got home..he thought it looked, well...."terrible. I don't like the blended photos," he said. "but, the lesson calls for blending," I protested! OK....he was right--the photos needed more room to blend smoothly--and closeups of her face just weren't working for this assignment.

I can't believe our baby is going to be two years old next month! It has gone so fast....

Here is the journaling on the layout: Anna, it's hard to believe that you are only about one month away from your 2nd birthday! These two precious photos are taken at 2 months and almost 22 months old. It seems like yesterday that we posed you by the giant Pooh bear to document your growth. Now, you have an affinity for hunkering down in the clutter of Poohs on the floor of Catie's room--your favorite spot to read a story or play. You remind me of "E.T." when you do that! Do us a favor...don't grow up too fast.

I had to leave work early this afternoon...Catie has had a cold for almost two weeks now, and she has complained of a sore ear on and off the past couple days. Today, I finally made an appointment--and yes--she has a mild ear infection! Poor honey--she just hasn't been herself the last couple days. She got some amoxicillin and motrin in her tonight--and I think she was feeling better...a good night's sleep can only help too! Hopefully Anna's stuffy nose will stay where it is....in her nose, and leave her ears out of it. :)

Mamma told me there'd be days like this...

Just a quick post to sound the praises for my dear, darling husband-Rob. He is just having "one of those days..." He called me on his way to work this afternoon, and he was pretty burned out after not enough sleep; keeping the girls busy, happy, etc...; making dinner, doing laundry--dropping them off at Kathy's, and then going to work.

It makes for a long day...

I hope he reads this, so he knows just how amazing I think he is! I couldn't do it without him...and he does so many things each and every day to keep our house running smoothly and sanely (even though it doesn't always feel like it probably! :) )

Thank you Rob! I love you!

Just think of this oceanside lounging to bring you back to relaxation for a moment:

Baseball Fever

Here are the pics I promised of Catie and Rob playing a little of America's favorite past time!

A P.S. for Gramma and Grandpa Long...Catie said yesterday after they got done playing and we were looking at the photos of her..."Daddy sometimes sounds like Grandpa Long when he was talking to me while we played..." I thought that was so cute--I told her that Grandpa Long is a good player and coach--so that is a compliment to both Grandpa & Daddy!

Spring Fever!

What a wonderful Sunday! We woke up to beautiful sunshine and we couldn't wait to get outside after church. After lunch---the four of us headed over to the playground and the girls had a great time...it was a busy place, too!

I'll post some adorable photos of Catie playing baseball with Daddy in the backyard while Anna took a nap...she does so well hitting the ball with her over-sized plastic red bat--she really loves it!

We had a delicious dinner of leftovers tonight! Leftovers delicious, you say? Why yes! My church held its spring roast beef dinner last night...and then this morning in church they sold the leftovers for a big steal...so we had really good beef, gravy, real mashed potatoes, three-bean salad, orange Jell-O fluffy salad, and cherry pie for $5! delish!

Catie's Funny comment of the night:

We watched our Sunday night family hour of "America's Funniest Home Videos" and an ad for the reality show "The Bachelor" came on...and Rob and I were bracing, hoping that nothing inappropriate would be said or done on the commerical. It was a quick ad, but one of the women said "choose me."

Catie then said, "why did she say 'choose me?' ..You don't just walk up to a man and say 'choose me!' "

Rob and I thought it was just hilarious...Rob just said "Catie, you are so right...just remember that!"

Last night, my friend Kel came over to go to dinner with me and the girls...and we went to the playground! (can you tell it is going to be a popular destination with my girls this summer!?) I helped Kel scan some fun old family photos for a special project she is working on...and it was just great to hang out with my friend, who is like a sister...thanks Kel!

My Second week of Jessica Sprague's Digi: In Deep class starts tomorrow, I got my week 1 layout done, but I never had a chance to do the second assignment...I'm feeling a bit behind in my schoolwork! I'm also taking an organizational class for ACDSee software, which organizes all my digital supplies on my computer. I have a LIVE session tomorrow at 10 p.m.

I also got asked to create some mock-ups of invitations for the college--a series of dinners they want to host at different homes of board trustees, and they were looking for a "handmade elegance" look--I'm so flattered that they asked me--but I haven't started the ideas flowing yet--and I need to have some examples done to show them this week. Help! I'm going to try to design them digitally and then tack them onto a cardstock card...so a hybrid project!

Back at work tomorrow...Alicia and I are dealing with the big kahunas! We pitched our great professor who is a expert on the Pope, and with his first visit to the U.S., there is good media interest. We got emails from the NY Times, Washington Post and Dallas Morning News on Friday! WOW!

hope everyone has a good week!

Have you seen this elf?

I turned into a reporter this morning during a phone call with Catie...I was at work and she was eating her breakfast. She'd come into our room in the middle of the night because of a bad dream..and she wanted to have quite a conversation about it this morning!

I wrote it all down, and kept asking her different questions--I was giggling to myself...wow, her 5-year old mind is quite active!

Catie: "Mommy, remember my bad dream from last night? It was about an elf guy named Oscar, and he was really grumpy. He was scary at the beginning of the dream...then he was actually alive, not just a stuffed animal. "

Mommy: "what happened, why did you think he was scary?"

Catie: " I caught him, and he got away...at first I thought he was going to punch me in the eye! Then he sang a song about how grumpy he always is."

Mommy: "what does he look like?"

Catie: "he is always filthy, he wears a green and white top hat.."

Mommy: "maybe you can be his friend in your dream, instead of being scared."

Catie: "I can never get him to be my friend though..."

Mommy: "ok, we don't have to talk about it anymore if it bothers you..."

Catie: "ALright...(sigh)."

Mommy: "do you still WANT to talk about your dream and Oscar?"

Catie: "yes, he has a circle shaped nose with nostrils at the bottom and little eyes, but I can't remember what color they are.....that's all I can remember."

So, I hope she has an "Oscar-free" night!


We had a nice spring day here today! Yesterday was cold, but after I got home, the girls and I walked to the playground and it was nice and quiet--pretty much to ourselves. Tonight, with the temps in the 50s, lots of kids had the same idea! As soon as I got to Kathy's..the girls were yelling "Mom, can we go to the playground!?" Anna had a fan...a 6th grade girl came up and asked if she could push her on the swing, and then she led Anna around the playground. (of course, mommy trailed behind to make sure everything was ok!) :)

Homework Finished!

Wow...I finished it! My first lesson in my Jessica Sprague "Digi: in Deep" class that started on Monday! For those of my friends and family that don't know what a great scrapbook goddess Jessica is...she is an amazing teacher..This lesson was very tough, and I learned so many great tips!

I actually have spent the past two nights dreaming about all the intricate details of the lesson--maybe tonight--I'll have a "non-photoshop REM sleep!"

Well...drumroll...here it is!

My other big news of the day: I took my first ever Yoga class! It is being offered at my college for free on my lunchbreak once a week...and it was great!!!! "Downward Dog" is no easy feat--I have new appreciation for this amazing exercise.

A funny moment this morning...I got out of the shower to Catie sitting on the bathroom rug, Indian-style legs, saying..."oohm...Oohm.." She'd watched "Snow Buddies" this weekend with a little boy who does yoga--it cracked me up! She didn't even know I was going to take the class, today!