March Arrived ...

An old picture of the girl meeting one of her favorite singers, Gavin Degraw

March has arrived and I'm ready for it, or should I say I'm ready for Spring which isn't to far off in the distance now. I shouldn't complain though, we've had a very mild Winter so far this year in Connecticut. To date we've had about 3 storms, none dropping to much snow or ice and with the warmer temperatures the snow it did drop didn't last long, and for that I'm thankful.

Morgan and I wrapped up our February with a trip to North Carolina to visit my friend Monica and her family. We had a nice time enjoying the hospitality of the South. Wilmington was one of our favorite places to visit while there, the community is very sweet, full of old time goodness mixed in with lots of new to keep it hopping. I really enjoyed the horse drawn carriage ride through the historic district. Next time I visit, I'll keep my credit card close to me and remember to put it back in my wallet rather than leaving it behind at a restaurant, thankfully the owners kept it safe for me until our 2nd return to the beach in one week to retrieve it. We loved our away time, but it's always good to come back to the comforts of home as well. I really missed Brian and think that the next time I fly off somewhere, he's going to need to go with me, vacation just isn't the same without him there to keep me smiling.

I'm not sure what March will hold for us, but if I have my way I'll be scrapping this month, I've got the crafty itch, and it needs to be scratched.  Waiting here for the trees to come back to life, flowers to bloom and the grass to turn green again.  Easter is on it's way as well, life returns to the East ... I can't wait.

February Gloom ...

Hurry Up Spring, I'm so tired of the cold, gloomy days of Winter. I know I shouldn't be rushing time, but I need to see some green grass and hear the birds chirping again. I know I shouldn't be complaining because we've had such a mild winter here in Connecticut, but I'm ready for Spring, how about you? I'm lucky I have a hobby that takes my mind off of all the yucky weather though, sometimes I sit down and scrap for hours, it allows me to relive moments from the past, days when the sun was out, vacations I'd like to do all over again and time with people whom I miss very much most days. Here are some of my latest pages, not all of them of course, then you'd be bored stiff, but a few that I actually am OK with sharing. Enjoy ...

The Day after Morgan's college graduation, we came home and took pictures since the actual graduation day was filled with clouds and rain. Time went so fast that afternoon we realized too late that we had no pictures, so I insisted that Morgan dress back up in her cap and gown and pose for me, she did it with a smile, I guess she's gotten used to her momma always pulling out a camera.

A picture taken of Morgan the morning of her College Graduation, we were waiting in our hotel room to leave for the festivities, little did we know the skies would open up and the rain would pour down upon us, but nothing could have taken away our smiles ... my baby graduated.

The next page is one where you actually get to see me biting into a Softshell Crab Sandwich, which for me is quite a feat, since I don't care for seafood or shellfish of any kind, but to make my friend Monica smile, I gave it a try and it wasn't even all that bad. I get to go visit Monica and her family next week in North Carolina, can't wait to see them all again, though I think I'll pass on the Softshell Crab this time around.

This page was done in answer to a challenge on a scrappy board to use a variety of patterned papers, I cut multiple papers into thin strips and adhered them to the background paper. It was a task that took awhile, but I loved the outcome.

Hope your winter is going well and that you'll soon be enjoying Spring in your corner of the world.

Just One Little Word ...

It's a scrappers thing really, picking "just one little word" to focus on for the year. I've been really thinking about what word I would pick this year, and I've struggled thinking that each word I considered just wasn't quite right. Was I trying to hard to find a word that suited me perfectly? Was I over thinking it? What if I picked a word and then somewhere down the line decided it wasn't good enough? Then I thought about the past year, and or years that have passed me by and it came to me, that I knew exactly what word I should pick.

TIME

Time ... I need to make the most of it, simply because I've learned over the past years that it goes by very quickly and sometimes we regret the "time" that we have wasted and this year I want no regrets.

Time ... You never know how much of it you have in this life. I'm glad about that because if we knew exactly how much time we had, we spend our days worried about whether we were using it in the way we should. Time ... I'm thankful for the time I've had with the people who are no longer in my life because their time here in this world has come and gone, and I'm thankful for the time I have to spend thinking about those people and how they affected my life. Time ... I will make the best of it always.

Have you chosen a word for the year? You don't have to be a scrapbooker to focus on a word, you can keep it private or broadcast it to the world, it's your choice. It just gives you a chance to think, remember, plan and hope.

Wrapping it up ...

It's December ... just one week away from Christmas Day. It's a season for so many things, so many celebrations and of course every single person celebrates differently. Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa ... my birthday, my husbands birthday and of course aside from all the trappings of Christmas celebrating it is also a time to remember the birth of Jesus. I always say to myself that I'll make this a simpler Christmas. Less gifts, less cooking and baking, less stress, I mean after all isn't it about celebrating time with family, thinking about those who are no longer here to celebrate, enjoying the peace and joy of the season. It is ... but I never, ever quite find a way to get to "simple", not until this year anyway. The following is my list for this holiday.

• Purchase gifts for family and friends. DONE


• Wrap gifts in my possession. DONE


• Write out and Mail Christmas Cards - DONE


• Put up the Christmas tree. DONE - but not by me, Brian does it every year.


• Clean the house. SORT OF DONE - bit when is it ever really all done anyway.


• Bake Cookies for Neighbors - Hmmm, sort of DONE, but I keep eating them and having to make more, there's something wrong with this strategy. Maybe I need to make them and deliver them all on one day.


• re-Cook or Prepare any items I can for Christmas Eve Dinner with Family. NOT DONE, who am I kidding, I haven't even started on this one, but I will in a couple of days.


• Stop, Breathe and Relax - I've tried to do this throughout, and sometimes it works.

I could of course add a million other little things that I should do, but how would that make the season any easier or simpler to get through, it wouldn't so I'm choosing this year not to worry about it, not to stress about it and certainly not to beat myself up over anything that doesn't get done. I will take a few moments each and every day to remember the good times from my childhood Christmases, times spent with my mom, dad and sisters, enjoying each and every moment and I'll never stop thinking about the wonderful Christmases when my girl was little and truly believed in Santa Claus, those memories will always get me through. How will you celebrate the holiday this year? Take time to remember the reason for the season, remember that everyone celebrates differently and above all ... don't stress, before you know it all the wrappings will be torn from the packages and off to the landfill, the food will be eaten, the cards will stop arriving and if you're lucky, you'll have lots of great moments to remember all the new year long. Most of all be thankful for every little thing, because so many go through the holidays with no one to share with, no meal to enjoy, no gifts to open and no memories to make. Life moves quickly ... don't let a moment slip by without saving a piece in your heart.

Thanksgiving Is Over ...

How did you celebrate this year? We started a new tradition last year as a family and that was to spend the holiday away from home. We love Maine and it seems like we are home the second we drive over the state line. Thanksgiving is all about making memories, honoring traditions and making new ones, eating lots of yummy food and a time for being thankful for all the blessings we receive through the year. This year I am thankful for my husband and daughter, they love me unconditionally and give me more happiness than any one person should ever be allowed to have. I'm also thankful for both of my sisters and that my sister Sandy has finished her chemo and is on the road to recovery. I'm thankful for my home and health. I'm thankful that I have great memories from my childhood and that I have so many new memories to carry me through in the years to come. I'm thankful for all of my friends and the love and support they have shown to me throughout my life and last but not least I'm thankful that I live in a country where I can enjoy a holiday such as Thanksgiving openly and freely.

We planned our trip back in July and made our reservations early to assure that we would get a nice room in a good location before all the rooms were sold out. We tried a new Inn this year right in the center of Kennebunkport (yes, George & Barbara Bush have a Summer home there). We had our meal at the Inn where we stayed and though it wasn't "home cooked" it was still tasty and included all the essentials. Our main agenda was to relax, rejuvenate and shop, all three of which were accomplished. We spent a day walking around Freeport while shopping, then drove into Portland to check out Southern Maine University, then we headed over to Saco and Old Orchard Beach, the latter of which was more to appease me than anything else. I have sweet memories of going there when I was very young with my family for vacation, my though, how the area has changed ... sometimes progress isn't so great, but even with all the changes they can't take away the memories that I'll always carry in my mind.

Morgan posing by the L.L. Bean Boot
We had lots of fun shopping, though we are cutting back on our buying this year, it was still nice to spend the time together as a family trying to pick out presents for friends and family. We love shopping in Kennebunkport, the stores are all unique and since they're all small individually owned businesses we felt we were doing our part in supporting the economy. I think the only big store we shopped in was L.L. Bean in Freeport, it's a must if you're visiting Maine.

Morgan at The Stonewall Kitchen Store

Thanksgiving came and went far to quickly this year. We had originally planned to have my sister Sandy with us in Maine, but she had surgery planned for the Monday following Thanksgiving so her visit has to be postponed. She would have enjoyed the unseasonably warm days we had while there, with temperatures in the sixties we were able to walk around outside with no coats, crazy weather for Maine in November. She would have loved walking around Kennebunkport and she would have loved the sunset we were blessed to see in Cape Porpoise, it was just perfect.

Christmas is our next big holiday, a time to decorate the house, put up a tree, shop till you drop, gather with family and friends, remember days gone by and of course to celebrate the real meaning of Christmas. Everyone celebrates differently, some people don't celebrate at all and some go over the top in every way. I'm kind of in the middle of that group, some years I'm excited about it, some years it seems like a bother and some years I'm OK with whatever the family wants as long as I don't have to set up the Christmas Tree, I'm not good at it and I've never really enjoyed doing it, thankfully I have a husband who loves to put the tree up and decorate it. How do you get ready for the holidays? No matter what I know that at the end of December we'll be thankful for all we have and though I'm usually ready to pack away all the pretty baubles, I'll be ready again next year to do it all over again.

Thankful ...

Morgan and I the day after her college graduation, May 2011.

With the holidays upon us once again it seems my crafting time has been limited, there's so much to get done these days. Thanksgiving is this Thursday, I can hardly believe it. We will be traveling to Maine for a few days, staying at a sweet little Inn in Kennebunkport and enjoying our meal at their restaurant prepared by their chef, they have the traditional turkey day offerings but there are a few other choice menu offerings as well for those who like to go "non-traditional" when it comes to their meal. Most likely though, the three of us will stick with the gobbler special and savor the flavors of the season. Christmas shopping is part of our weekend plan as well, wish us luck since we'll be out there on Black Friday. We are all cutting down our lists this year however, so the shopping shouldn't be too bad.

I've had a few minutes here and there this past month to do a bit of scrap booking and thought I'd share the pages with you, enjoy.

The New Grad. A photo of Morgan taken the day after her college graduation May 2011.

Visiting Family Up North. An old photo of Morgan with her brothers Joshua & Austin and her sister Michelle and cousin April.

Simply Fabulous - Morgan at her Senior Recital 2010

Debi, Sandy and Morgan in Stonington, CT.

With so many blessings in my life, I try to take a moment to remember all the things I have to be thankful for each and every day. A home to live in, the best husband and daughter in the whole world, two loving sisters, my health and a heart full of happiness. Wishing you and yours a healthy and happy Thanksgiving, may your table be full of goodness, your days be filled with family and friends and may you also have many reasons to be thankful this year. Happy Thanksgiving

It's Raining ... It's Pouring ...

Yup, but this old girl isn't snoring, I'm browsing the web, updating the old blog, and very soon scrap booking. I'm alone today with both my guy and my girl out to work. Mother Nature sent us an early Nor Easter ... thankfully it's not cold enough to snow but rain it will and plenty of it. It's days like today when I dream of warmer locations, beaches full of white sand to wiggle my toes in, seagulls flying overhead and icy cold drinks, but reality quickly invades as I sip my hot cup of Chai Tea and know that no matter what the weather is like outside, life is good.

During my search today for new "low calorie" recipes to create for the family (both the hubs and I are watching what we eat and hoping to be a whole lot leaner and healthier next year). It's not easy to eat well every day, especially when you've spent a lifetime eating kind of gross, but it's worth it for sure, in fact between the two of us we've lost over 90 pounds total. My weight loss began over a year ago, while the hubs had a little heart scare earlier this year and after a few days in the hospital, he also joined the better eating club at the house. It's amazing really how much better we both already feel. So ... with that said, I don't want to be preachy, I know how hard it was to get to this point myself, and I know everyone must make the journey on their own, but it sure helps when we find great low cal recipes and or websites dedicated to healthier eating. So without further delay ... I recommend to you www.skinnytaste.com where you just might be amazed at how yummy low fat eating can be. I'm not a paid representative, I don't even know the blog owner, but her site is a good thing, so check it out for yourself. Here's one of her recipes that is going to make it's way in to my crock pot this weekend, I can't wait.

Crock Pot Turkey White Bean Pumpkin Chili

Servings: 9 • Serving Size: 1 cup • Old Points: 3 pts • Points+: 3 pts Calories: 182.6 • Fat: 2.3 g • Protein: 23.3 g • Carb: 10.9 g • Fiber: 8.8 g • Sugar: 2.1Sodium: 429.8 (without salt)

Ingredients:
cooking spray like Pam
2 lb 99% lean ground turkey
1/2 tsp olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp chili powder, to taste
2 bay leaves
2 tsp cumin
1 tsp oregano
2 (15 oz cans) of white northern or navy beans, rinsed and drained
15 oz can pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
4.5 oz canned chopped green chile
2 cups low sodium, fat free chicken broth
fat free sour cream for topping (optional)
chopped cilantro and chives for topping (optional)
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:Heat a large heavy saute pan over high heat and lightly spray with oil. Add meat and cook, breaking it up until white, about 5 minutes. Add to crock pot. Add oil to the saute pan, then onions, garlic, sauté about 3 - 4 minutes; add cumin and sauté another minute. Add to crock pot. Add beans, pumpkin puree, green chilis, broth, chili powder, oregano, and bay leaves. Cover and cook on high for 4 hours or low for 8 hours.Remove bay leaves and adjust seasoning to taste before serving. Enjoy

I'm Not Lost ...

Autumnal Goodness

I hope I'm not lost anyway, though there are days when I'm sure plenty of people would disagree with that statement. Time is flying by as usual, it seems like Summer disappeared and I didn't even have a chance to enjoy it. We were busy trying to get our home ready to list and sell, which meant that we spent just about every day cleaning, sorting, packing, throwing away and all around de-cluttering. What a task when you consider we live in a home that has 10 rooms, and enough stuff in it to fill 20 rooms, I guess that's what happens when you combine two households into one and then never get rid of anything. We did finally manage however to dump quite a bit of stuff, some went to the trash heap, some to Goodwill, and some was sold at our big tag sale, which brought in a nice little chunk of change. But, was it enough? Not really ... we still have a lot more to get rid of and go through, however you can now see the floor in the two spare rooms which were packed to the gills with boxes of things we hadn't looked at in years. As for selling the house, well we're back on hold with that for a bit, a few things popped up and have put us back into a holding pattern, but soon we hope we'll be able to plop that "For Sale" sign in front of the house and move on to newer and better things.

Morgan in Newport, RI 8/2011

Good news finally came this summer as well. Morgan took and passed the Praxis 2 exam which is a specialized test for educators which focuses on their field of expertise in teaching. In our state you must pass this test in order to become a certified teacher. We are so very proud of her, as this is not an easy test to pass. She's now on the hunt for a full time teaching position, no luck yet, but she is now listed on several subbing lists in the area and has begun to teach in that capacity. She also still works her job at the grocery store where she is a head cashier. She's busy, tired and even grumpy sometimes, but thrilled to be earning more money which she is saving for braces.

Brian is back to teaching this year as well. He is still with 4th graders, and has a great class. He's very busy however with much more paperwork added to their already very full schedules. It means that he spends not only his normal day at school teaching, but many more hours in the evenings and on the weekends keeping up with all the new guidelines, programs and specifics required for all teachers. We can't wait for his retirement to finally come, it's about 5 years away, but the way time is flying lately, it'll be here before we know it.

As for me, nothing new, just continuing on the weight loss journey, I've lost about 60 pounds over the last year and a half. It's not easy, but it will be worth it, now I just need to add more exercise to my day. I'm still scrap booking as well, not as much as I used to, but I'm trying to get back on track in mentioning it here.

So moving forward with Fall, I'm hoping that the time will slow down a bit, and that I'll be able to get that area as well. There's plenty to keep me busy, but it's all boring stuff, so I won't even bother more done on my to do list. I hope to make more time for a bit of fun, try a few new things and enjoy the days and nights with my wonderful family. How about you, what will you do to enjoy this gorgeous time of the year.

Now She's Done It ...

The Graduate

I'll apologize now, this is a long photo heavy post, but I think it's worth it!
She's graduated from college, my girl Morgan has finally finished. Four years ago we dropped her off at her new dorm on the campus of Keene State College and began the 2-1/2 hour drive home. There were no tears when we left, she insisted she was fine and everything was going to be great, so I tucked my fears away and assumed she was OK. Upon arrival home there were messages on the answering machine, there were tears, she didn't have anyone to go to dinner with because she didn't know anyone, and she wasn't going alone. She wanted to come home, maybe this wasn't right for her after all. It was hard for a mom to listen and not want to drive right back up there to New Hampshire and take her back home with me, but I didn't. I told her she had to give it time, and that plenty of kids were feeling the very same way she was. Eventually, the fears diminished, the tears went away and she started classes, made friends and settled in to college life. Ahhh ... and her mother breathed in a big sigh of relief. Now I won't lie and tell you the road was always smooth, and that there weren't more tears and fears throughout, but she did what she set out to do, she studied hard and she finished the music education program on time, which is quite a feat from what I've learned over the years. Here are some photos from the day, not in any order mind you, but the whole day was a sort of jumbled mess anyway. Good weather turned bad and they rushed through the ceremony, the crowd was uncontrollable for security, there weren't enough seats and the threat of rain, lightning strikes, and high winds were predicted, but rain or shine the show must go on and it did.

Helen Giles Gee, President of Keene State College

Morgan and Colin IsottiColin played a duet with Morgan at her Senior Recital.Morgan and Colin met at their Freshman orientation and continued a friendship throughout the 4 years they attended KSC.

L to R: Brian Smith, Tania Smith & Debbie Ouellette Proud parents with our girl the day after her graduation.

Most kids go home after they graduate, not Morgan. Graduation night for Morgan was spent directing the Keene Highschool Jazz Band at a festival they were having. She had been student teaching there, and made a commitment to attend and be a part of this concert. We were so proud to sit in the audience and watch her do what she has been trained to do for the last 4 years, conduct and inspire.

The skies opened up during graduation and it rained, no wait ... it poured and we all got drenched.It didn't kill our spirits though, we'd have sat through a blizzard without a coat for this event.

Morgan with George Weithman

Morgan met George during her orientation at KSC, they were both in the music education department. The class of music ed students started off fairly large and by the time graduation rolled around very few of them were a part of the program any longer for many reasons. It was so nice for them to be able to share their final year of student teaching and graduation, knowing that they had stuck it out and finished what they started out to do.

I'm a bit sad to see it all end for her, but I know that all endings are really just new beginnings for something new in our lives. I look forward to watching my girl make her way in life. I'm sure it will be full of good things and happy moments.

Happy Graduation to the best daughter a mom could ever have.

I always knew you'd make me proud.

Love you always ... Mom!

L to R: Ariel Cohen, Tim Price, Colleen Durkin & Morgan Cyr. These 4 started off together in Freshman year and ended together 5/7/11.

Cooking At Home ...

Cooking, something I used to love to do, but lately it's just never something I want to do. The problem with that is that I also really don't enjoy the food from restaurants anymore ... so I either starve or cook. I guess we all know what I'll be doing. Thankfully I have a huge stash of cookbooks at my disposal, conveniently waiting for me on my kitchen counter or as I'm more likely to do, I use the blogs and recipe sites available on the internet. Recently while browsing, I came across a chicken recipe that not only sounds fairly easy, AND who doesn't like easy, but it sure sounds yummy too. It comes from one of my favorite recipe blog sites and I thought I'd share it here for you as well. Enjoy and if you have a chance pop over to Jamie's blog, save it to your favorites as I'm sure you'll find tons of recipes you'll want to try as well.

The web address is as follows: http://www.jamiecooksitup.blogspot.com/

HAWAIIAN PINEAPPLE CHICKEN

5 Chicken Breasts cut into strips

1/2 C. Flour

1 Tsp. Salt

1 Tbsp. Lemon Pepper

3 Tbsp. Olive Oil

SAUCE

1 can pineapple chunks

1-1/4 Cup pineapple juice (use the pineapple juice from the can, there won't be enough to equal the amount needed, so just add a bit of water to make up the difference).

3/4 apple cider vinegar

1 Tsp. soy sauce

1/4 Tsp. Ginger

1 Chicken Bouillon cube

1 Cup Sugar

2 Tbsp. cornstarch

green onions (optional but tasty)

1. In a dish mix the flour, salt and lemon pepper.

2. Cut your chicken into strips with some kitchen scissors. Dredge the chicken through the flour mixture.

3. Into a large HOT skillet add the olive oil. Place each piece of chicken into the hot pan. Over medium heat cook the chicken until it is golden brown. Turn each piece over and repeat. Lay the golden brown chicken in a 9x13 pan that has been sprayed with cooking spray.

4. Pour the juice from the pineapple can into a measuring cup. Add enough water to the juice to equal 1-1/4 cup.

5. In a medium sized sauce pan mix the ginger, sugar and cornstarch. Add all other sauce ingredients to this dry mixture and stir.

6. Bring the sauce to a boil over medium heat. Let it boil for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Then pour 2/3 of the sauce over the top of the chicken.

7. Bake uncovered at 375 degrees for 30 minutes.

8. Take the chicken out of the oven and pour the pineapple chunks over the top. Pour the rest of the sauce over the top of the chicken and return it to the oven.

Bake for another 10 to 15 minutes. Sprinkle a bit of green onion over the top if you choose.

Happy Cooking and Good Eating!

Spring Is Really Here ...

It appears after peeking out my window this morning, that Spring is truly here. I happened to be making breakfast when I looked out my window at a beautiful Robin sitting in the tree, I also noticed a gorgeous Pink Tulip that had bloomed next to my door. It's a sign of new life, fresh new beginnings, good things to come ... and I'll take it for sure, no questions asked.

My girl graduates from college this Saturday, I can't believe I'll be sitting in the audience listening for her name to be announced again, it seems like just yesterday when we were attending her high school graduation. Where has the time gone? We're very excited for her and wish for her all the best and most wonderful things life has to offer. My mom used to tell me that "Life is what you make of it, no more and no less". It's been a piece of good wisdom and I'll be passing it on to Morgan as well.

So in honor of all the wonderful things happening outside, let's all be thankful for what we have, smile at strangers, it'll make them wonder what you're smiling about and give someone a hug, because you never know how much it can change someones day.

Happy Spring !!!

She Did It ...

Lots of photos to this post, and not the best photos unfortunately, but hey when a mama is crying and trying to take pictures there is no guarantee to the quality.

This was Morgan's first time conducting at a "real concert" so I drove up to New Hampshire to attend and be there to support my girl.

She was directing two songs for the Keene High school Concert Band.

The show was recorded and is being televised in the Keene area I believe on their public access channel.

I'm so proud of her, she stepped up and did exactly what we always knew she could, directed the band perfectly. They followed her direction and played beautifully, who could ask for more.

So sorry that most of the photos are from behind, but of course that's the side the audience sees the most of while we listen.

I tried to capture more of the front facing photos, but I think she was a bit nervous and she exited the stage pretty quickly and since I was working with an old camera and I'm not a very good photographer to boot, I missed all the good shots. So without further ado ... here are some photos from the night.

Whew, finally done might have been what she was thinking, but I couldn't have been more proud and wished the music could have played on and on under her direction.

She sure looked happy with the kids when her first song was done with, and the kids looked pleased as well. So nice to see the kids actually looking at her for direction.

This last photo is a picture of the Keene High director which Morgan has been working with, his name is Eric Anderson and he's been a great mentor for her. He told me after the concert that he wished they could keep Morgan for much longer because she's been such an asset to the band.

My heart was full and ready to burst watching my girl direct. There really truly cannot be a prouder moment then when a parent gets to watch their child develop into and become a responsible adult ready to face the world and do what they do best.

Good luck girlie, this is your time and I know you'll continue to amaze me.

It's April 1st ... anyone been fooled yet?

Happy April Everyone ...

Well here it is "April Fools Day" ... I'm not good at pulling off any pranks, but typically someone gets me before the end of the day, so far so good though. Whew maybe everyone has forgotten!

I've been busy this past month planning for my daughters college graduation, scrap booking and doing the every day stuff that life calls for. Every time I think life is slowing down a bit though something comes up to remind me that we don't really want it to slow down too much, because then we get lazy and that's no good either.

Anywho ... I thought I'd let all you scrappers out there in on a little secret, OK it's not really a secret but a bit of fun to be sure. I scrap at a website called "The Moments" http://www.scrappingthemoments.com/ and this month they are running a bit of a membership drive. So, if you're out there floundering because so many scrappy sites have closed down and you've lost that loving feeling ... I mean that daily site where you can chat, have fun and receive some challenge mojo then you truly must come join us at The Moments. Pat is the site owner and she's terrific, I know her from a previous site we belonged to and I've met her in person, she really gets the job done. The design team is awesome as well ... lots of wonderful challenges are put out on the 1st and 15th of every month, so you won't be at a loss for ideas and the gallery is loaded. Come check it out ... and if you join please register, then introduce yourself in the introductions section listing my name as the person who referred you to the board, then on April 30th Pat will draw the name of one new member who will win a $25.00 gift certificate to A Cherry on Top and the person who referred that member will win one as well. So ... what are you waiting for? There's a prize involved, but even better, fun, challenges and new friends await you at "The Moments". See you there ...

Thought I'd leave you with a couple of the scrappy pages I've created recently as well. You too can do this if you join us at The Moments.

As February Comes to a Close ...

Well here it is, the end of February and I've been completely negligent when it comes to updating this old blog. Sure I could come up with a million excuses, but I won't bother, since no one ever believes them anyway "wink-wink". I'm sitting here this dreary, cold Monday watching the rain fall, thanking God it's not snow because we sure have had enough of the white stuff this year already. Mr. Groundhog didn't see his shadow this year so Spring should be here any day, or so they say. Time will tell!

My daughter and husband both had February break at the same time this year, it was nice to have Morgan home for a few days, we shopped, went to the movies, ate out and relaxed, just what every busy "student teacher" needs. Sometimes I think I need to have her home more than she needs to be home, which is a bit scary for me because it means she's truly growing up and spreading her wings, but awesome at the same time because it means I've done my job well.

One thing I did do this month was some scrap booking, I probably finished about 8 or 9 pages which might be a record for me in one month. I also got together with my friend Carrie one day to scrap together, it was really fun, especially since we figured out we hadn't seen each other in almost a year. We'll have to get together again soon.

Here are some of my pages:

Morgan went to "Red and White" night at her college this past weekend as well. It's a special evening for the graduating class to get together, dress up, dance, eat and just enjoy. She bought herself a special dress and invited a friend to go with her so she'd have a dance partner and off they went. She had a great time, danced the night away and then afterwards went out to an Irish Pub with friends for a bit more fun. I wish I could have seen her all dressed up in person, but I guess I have to accept the idea that there will be more and more of these times when I will not be there, so I will simply remind her to get pictures and I'll enjoy in that fashion.

Hope your February was glorious and that March will be full of many wonderful new events. Who knows maybe I'll be able to keep up with the blogging this month.

Scrappy Goodness ...

Beautiful Lady

Pictures from Morgan's Senior Recital 10/10

I've been busy scrapping since the new year began, pushing myself to stick to my commitment to make pages that will document our travels, family life and the fun we have on a day to day basis. I'd love to scrap every day, but alas life gets in the way sometimes and takes away the free time, but I WILL scrap this year, and I will use up my supplies, which I'm embarrassed to say probably out-number the supplies that some of the local scrapbooking stores sell.
Here are a few of my latest pages, thanks for stopping by:

Chillin' Out

Pictures of Morgan on our Lobster Boat tour Kennebunkport, Maine

Autumn in Kennebunkport, Maine

Pictures Taken Thanksgiving Day 2010 Besties

Picture taken in Raleigh NC

Tania and Monica

Family Time

Photo's Taken at a Viewing Spot off the highway in Northern Maine

2009

Hoping your 2011 is filled with lots of fun photo moments!