Major Slacker!!!!

I'm not going to be able to get this week's challenges done, and it's all the fault of the cute little Kindergartners!! I am putting the finishing touches on TWENTY-ONE (yep, you read it right, I am nuts!) kindergarten scrapbooks for Avery and her classmates, so I'm totally putting everything else on the back burner. They're last day is next Friday so I have to put the pedal to the metal!! I'll be back soon though.

Peachy Cheap!!

CLICK HERE for another fabulous Thickers deal.....I was so excited to see it again, I ordered TWO sets, lol!
"Hello, my name is Christine and I am a........Thickers addict".

May Challenge ~ #1 Blue Collar Comedy

This makes me laugh because my brother is anything but a redneck....but working at the bar in Hampton, he gets questions all the time about how "redneck" it is that his name is the same as the bars. Sometimes he tells them the truth, and other times he lets them just think its some type of redneck coincidence. This boy is all ghetto though. Don't let him fool ya!

May Challenge - #7 Die Cut Challenge

Well, there is only one die cut on here, and it's store bought. I have a Cricut and a Slice, so you'd think I couldv'e done a little better on this challenge! These are photos from Hannah's My Favorite Teacher presentation. Lovin' those little Sassafras felties.....they are just so perfect sometimes! The journaling is her winning entry.

JA Biztown!!

Today, I had the pleasure of accompanying Hannah's 5th grade class to Junior Achievement's Biztown. The students spent a few months (from what I hear) learning about how a town is run, how businesses are run and how they interact with each other to have a economically/financially successful town. They learned how employees need to use their salaries to buy products/goods/services from businesses in a town to keep everything moving along. They also were required to put some of their "salaries" from the day in a savings account. Biztown boasts a City Hall, Factory, Tech Shop, Delivery Center (mail), Newspaper, Radio Station, Professional Office, Print Shop, Bank, Sports Shop, Supply Center, Variety Store (like a dollar store), Cafe and Environmental Shop. A month ago, they held an election for Mayor and Hannah was elected out of 12 students that decided to run. She is in a class of I believe 72 or 73 students...new ones come and go and I can't always keep track. She was elated to be elected! Papa Jim is the mayor of Orion and she really thought it would be cool if she got to play mayor for a day too. Here's some pics. If your school has the opportunity to participate in this event (there are BizTowns located worldwide in mostly large, metro areas) it it so fun and a wonderful, amazing learning experience for these kids. I have never had so much fun on a field trip....EVER! I would go back tomorrow in a heartbeat. The Quad Cities is so lucky to have a BizTown right in Davenport! Support your local Junior Achievement, these programs are funded half and half by JA and the schools.

Trip to the Zoo

Today, I gave up sleeping to go with Avery and Hannah on their Kindergarten and 5th Grade buddies trip to the zoo. I worked midnight shift, came home, got them and myself ready and off we were to the zoo....I crashed for 2 hours after I got home at 2 o'clock. It was a beautiful day for their field trip and the 5th graders do such a WONDERFUL job being "buddies" with their Kindergarteners. It is a year long program at their school and I'm not sure who enjoys it more, the 5th graders or the Kindergarteners. During the year, the 5th Graders visit their Kindergarten buddy every Friday and help them read simple books, assist them in doing part of their "centers" work for the day. They make each other cards for holidays and they really truly bond. Avery was lucky enough to have two buddies, both boys. Both very nice, helpful and smart young men. Hannah (my 5th grader) had a Kindergarten friend of Avery's for her buddy. So it was a twofer trip today! Here's some pics of our fun!

Hip Hop!! It's Unity's Kit of the Month (KOM) Blog Hop!! Welcome!

It's Unity's Kit of the Month Blog Hop!! Welcome to my blog, all you hoppers you! I created a scrapbook page using Fancy Pants "Crush" papers, AC Thickers, Kaiser Pearls, a tag from Creative Cafe, buttons, some fun ric rac and UNITY STAMPS!! I used "beautiful" and "journey" from the February KOM and the flower cluster is from November KOM.

Make sure to go visit Unity Stamp Company when you are finished blog hopping. Tons of sales and specials to make you Spring for Joy!!

Next up on the hop is the wonderfully talented NANCY!! Check out this girls fabulous cards. Thanks for stopping by!

~Dear Tooth Fairy, please look under my pillow

Yep, last week Avery had her very first wiggly tooth. I prayed to the Big Man above, please let her leave it alone until after our family pictures!! Just two more weeks. Well, it was not to be had, she is an impatient one, she wiggled that little tooth and today when she came home she had it really, really wiggly. I told her, well girl, it's ready so you might as well let mom have a shot at it. Nope, she wanted kleenex and to try herself. Well, ya know how that went, it started to bleed and she freaked a little. So I told her to hold onto the tooth real good and keep the blood from coming out. BEWARE: Sneaky, mean mommy trick ahead. As she's holding the tooth to keep the the blood from coming out, I playfully whacked her hand out of the way and out flew the tooth, landing in the bathtub (yeah, she decided it was really annoying her in the bath) right on her leg. Not quite sure if it was the shock of it coming out or that it landed on her leg that caused all the screaming. And, then the blood. She couldnt' bear the thought that there was blood. She wanted a band-aid. Try to explain to a 6 year old that you can't band-aid a tooth, hysterical. We finally got her to hold a cold washcloth in her mouth until she calmed down to pose for these pics. Hysterical!!! I don't mine the holy tooth grin for out photos, as it's all about the memories right? Now, we are all ready for the Tooth Fairy to come in tonight. Ave is a little worried that the thunderstorms might scare her off.....I doubt it :o).

Yep, Andover Garage Sales are this Saturday. I'll be a checking in pretty infrequently between now and then. Lotsa girls clothes gotta go!!! Our biggest one yet for sure. We have a couch, washer and dryer, oodles of girls clothes, some scrappin' stuff (its so hard for me to part with any of that), a Panasonic Lumix camera that's just a couple years old (I upgraded to a Canon Digital Rebel xsi), toys and more. We open at 8am Saturday and there's close to 40 for the whole town signed up. I am hoping to open up Friday morning also but can't say for sure yet because it sounds like our Niabi Zoo field trip for tomorrow might get rained out and that could be a rain date. I will advise.....so if you're lookin for some goodies or just wanna stop by and say "hey", we'll be here!

{Family Wedding}

My second of Sherry's May challenges for Week #2.

#3-April Showers Bring May Flowers:Scrap a page using pictures of flowers or flowers as embellishments or scrap a picture with rain.

I used Jenni Bowlin's Farmer's Wife papers and chipboard, Thickers and Unity Stamps.

~Mudder's Day Weekend

Hmmm, Lance and the girls were treating me to a much needed detailing of my minivan as a "surprise" for me tomorrow morning. There's a little spot in our driveway that collects a bit of water when we wash the vehicles. So, near the end of the detailing with the girls, Dad yells "Mom, you better grab your camera". I go outside (and pretend shock at my beautifully detailed minivan). And, he says "look over there" and this is what was staring back at me, how fittingly in her Little Miss Curious teeshirt.....and she says "Happy Mudders Day Mama" and starts laughing hysterically. Oh, my, these photos are gonna turn out to be one of my favorite gifts ever....and and the van detailing, I'd like that every year for sure!

{Happy Mother's Day

Have to share this with all of you mothers out there....isn't this what it is all about. Hope you all have "the best day" with your families. *hugs*

~Mother's Day Gifts

So, I had this idea for Mother's Day. My Aunt Kathy is currently undergoing treatment for breast cancer....she is a very strong woman and is handling it amazingly well. Before me, no one on that side of the family had ever had cancer except for my great-great grandmother....breast cancer took her life. I know that very thought scares the crap out of my aunt. But, doctors are making amazing progress in cancer treatments and most of the paperwork I receive from Holden Comprehesive Cancer Center (in Iowa City, where I received my treatment) says our children will see a cure. HALLELUIAH! So, anyways, back to Mother's Day. My mom has three sisters, one sister in law, two daughters, four granddaughters and two nieces and neice-in-laws. A lot of women. Time to celebrate what all women would love for a gift one Mother's Day....a cure, an end to the battle. I wanted to take Sherry's challenge of #5-Anything but scrapbooking:Do something creative besides a scrapbook page. Make a card or anything crafty. and make it meaningful. Here is what I created and I can't wait to see their faces when they open their gifts! I also included some shots of "girly" ones I made for my girls because, without them, I wouldn't be celebrating Mother's Day and since there is no "daughter's day", we celebrate it together. I tell them its my gift to them that one day they can celebrate motherhood alongside of me. Happy Mother's Day early to each and every one of you! May you celebrate blessedly and lovingly with your children and families.

Summer Fun for the Kids - Free Bowling!!

We're always on the lookout for fun, cheap entertainment to last us through the summer. Go here and search for your local participating lanes and sign them kids up. 2 FREE games per day, all you pay is shoe rental. We signed up under Milan Lanes.....get your game on for the summer and have some fun already!! :o)

{Kit Clubs}

Kit Clubs are all the rage right now.....it's thinkless scrapbooking. All the goodies are put together for you, usually from different manufacturers (but that depends on each individual club). Just wanted to introduce you to Memory Works May 2009 Kit. It is yummalicious with summer fun! I have received this kit for the past 15 months....and never, ever once have I been disappointed. Contact me if you're interested in signing up. **I love to hand out discounts *wink*

{Sherry's May Challenges - #4

#4-Black and White:Use a black and white photo or mix color and black and white.

Happy National Scrapbooking Day!!! Woot! Woot!

This is my submission for The Story Matters and I'm also using it for Sherry's May Challenge "Count your blessings".....I'm feeling 100% better than Tuesday but not to my normal 50% yet. Don't know why I thought a hernia surgery wouldn't be so sore, but.....it is very sore. I even said the other day "I'd have had another c-section before this".....**sigh**, I think thats because you don't realize the pain when looking into those beautiful baby's eyes.