REALITY IS SINKING IN!!!

OK.. I HAVE BEEN FINE.. REALLY FINE!!!! PROMISE, JUST FINE!!!!

UNTIL NOW!!!!!!

My baby is graduating in about an hour.. what the heck.. where did the time go.. holy cow.. she was just a 3 pound miracle yesterday wasnt she... now look at her..

I think it is time for me to have a nervous breakdown now!!!

What a week!!

Well... this week has been crazy crazy of course as usual...
Lots of Dr appt. Dentist appt. and last of the school year activities have kept me busy.
The online store at TTS has been a major priority for me as well and I have been using a task force to help me get it all organized and more user friendly.. My goal is to have it completed by next weekend. Wish us luck!!! Special thanks to all the gals helping out as well...

TTS has come through some major updates and we have some great new additions and helpful for everyone.. We are excited about all the new things and hope that you will all enjoy them.. It has been alot of work for Chris and he has definately proven how great his skills are as a web designer. Thanks so much for your work Chris!!!!

We are winding down the month of HS reunion at TTS and going to start some new things in June. I am excited to see the new things that we will have to share with you and hope that you will like the new things as well..
A special thanks to our Sponsors this month at TTS.. they have been wonderful and we are looking forward to a chat on the 30th of May with Doris!!!!! 8 pm EST.. make sure you visit the chat room and see who the lucky winner is, she will be announcing during the crop.

Last bit of news.. I was tagged by Di!!!! We are to share 6 summer month goals we have ... so since I didnt have any.. this is what I have come up with..

1. Survive!!!!!!! My kids are going through some major changes this next couple of months and Yes, I need to just be able to SURVIVE!!!! Kacee graduates from Seminary on the 30th and then the 31st she graduates from H.S. It has been quite the adventure with her lately and I am not sure if I am looking forward to her facing reality or not..so.. definately going to need lots of prayers and well wishes for her.
Bug, is going to be home a total of 2 weeks this whole entire summer... He will be touring Europe all of July with the Ambassoders of Music, He has 2 different training camps for Student Body Officer, and he has just been asked to be the main role in The Martin Harris Pageant.. He will be playing Jimmy and it is a big big role (the main one for youth) and will be hours and hours of work as well.
Kassi will be slowing down a bit this summer and only has one class in dance. Josh will also be slowing donw as well.. so those two will be keeping me more busy because they will be bored!!!
Savana and Trevor, hopefully will be able to get the transplant during the summer.. They are on the list as of June and Trevor will be starting dialysis on June 6th. We are hoping and praying for a donor soon. Definately will be a trying summer keeping Trevor healthy and the rest of the family upbeat!!

2. Try to get a layout Published... this has been a goal that I have set before and though I was thrilled with my layout being put into the Basic Grey gallery, I really have a wish for a layout to be published in a magazine.. Problem.. I never try to submit!!! soo... I am going to face my fear and start submitting some of my work and see what happens... So.. whip those whips and get me going gals!!!

3. Keep up with my TTS duties.. it seems that sometimes I get so far behind I am unable to catch up with the site.. I am almost caught back up again and need to spend some serious time organizing and planning my schedule to keep up with the site better.. so this is a big time goal for me.

4. Be happy... more and more this year I have let myself get down.. little things and some big things have really got to me and I am having a harder time staying positive and happy with myself.. not letting others getting me down.. I am going to work on this more.

5. Keep my house clean... I have been diligently working on this goal for several months and I am determined no matter how hard it gets this summer to keep it a priority..

6. Enjoy my DH... as the kids are becoming older it has been harder for Jeff and I to spend time alone together and I am really seeing how much that it is needed.. I am going to work hard to spend more and more time rekindling us.. we deserve it!!!

whew... ok.. finally ot through this one...
now who am I tagging..... hmmmmm if you are reading this ... you are tagged!!!!

About a Boy

I finally sat down and scrapped today.. seems that doing one layout a day is a major accomplishment to me with all the other things going on and trying to keep up with just life itself..

We were challenged for our blog today at TTS to write about what we do before leaving the house... well with 5 kids that are now pretty much able to get themselves ready it isnt such a drama as it used to be.. hehe somethings change and I am not sure if that is always good as the chaotic life I once had sometimes is something I miss... My kids growing up has been pretty hard on me the last couple of years and I am finding myself wondering if I did okay more and more while raising them.. They seem to be doing ok for the most part, and yes everyone has struggles, I guess as a mom your struggles include wondering if you did enough for them.. My advice.. if it is worth anything... Sit back and enjoy the things that seem to stress you out with your little ones.. soon they will be teens and not home as much and that is such an empty feeling to me sometimes.. I find myself trying to figure out what my roll is more often than not...

Here is my layout I did today...

credits are:

About a Boy 3-5 years, Misty Cato, SBB

It is a great kit and so many fun elements to play with in it.. as always, Misty does a wonderful job with her kits and I am so lucky to be one of her CT members..

Changed Lives

We were challenged today at TTS to write about something that has changed our lives significantly.

Mine by far was adopting Kassi and Josh.. what a turning point in our lives.. A life long dream finally came true when adopting them and we definately started parenthood over again. We are now realizing even more just how much that decision changed our lives.. Bug our youngest biological will be a senior this next school year.. Kacee is graduating in 15 days and turning 18 on the 19th this month.. Savana is married and has her own little family to take care of and if it were not for adopting these two little kiddos we would be definately at a different time in our lives..

I don't regret the decision one bit but, I do seem to be reflecting from time to time about what would be different at this time in life if we were not blessed to have these two 8 year olds in our home.

so..... here is to another 10 years of raising kids and keeping me young!!!!

Here is my latest layout that I did over the weekend.. You can find the kit at SBE by Brenda Johnson called A New Life and the template can be found at DSS by Jennifer Konarkowski.

Welcome to my new nephew!!!

My brother Lamar and his awesome wife Heather just had their little one and I was able to go to the hospital while he was being born... I was so excited to be able to hold a new little one and share in this awesome experience... I really needed to have this experience!!!

welcome little Kyden James to our family.. He was born on 5/8/2007 weighing in at 7lbs. 15 ou and is 20 inches long. He looks just like his big brother Zakk!!!

Kassi decided a few days ago that she wanted to have braids in her hair.. all over, little ones!!!! I kept telling her that I would do them for her but, it would take a long time to get them all done... I am ok with sitting that long, momma, she said.. so we began the process.. about 2 hours into the braiding I noticed her head to start to bob... Kacee came in and caught these photos of Kassi holding her head up fast asleep while we were braiding.. Isnt she just adorable!!!! Great pics Kacee... you did a great job catching these photos!!! watch for more on pages soon to come... I am off to scrap now!!! Don't forget to join me at TTS for the fun HS reunion day!!!

Welcome to my new nephew!!!

My brother Lamar and his awesome wife Heather just had their little one and I was able to go to the hospital while he was being born... I was so excited to be able to hold a new little one and share in this awesome experience... I really needed to have this experience!!!

welcome little Kyden James to our family.. He was born on 5/8/2007 weighing in at 7lbs. 15 ou and is 20 inches long. He looks just like his big brother Zakk!!!

Kassi decided a few days ago that she wanted to have braids in her hair.. all over, little ones!!!! I kept telling her that I would do them for her but, it would take a long time to get them all done... I am ok with sitting that long, momma, she said.. so we began the process.. about 2 hours into the braiding I noticed her head to start to bob... Kacee came in and caught these photos of Kassi holding her head up fast asleep while we were braiding.. Isnt she just adorable!!!! Great pics Kacee... you did a great job catching these photos!!! watch for more on pages soon to come... I am off to scrap now!!! Don't forget to join me at TTS for the fun HS reunion day!!!

NSDhappenings at TTS

WE are having soooooo much fun this weekend at TTS... Make sure you come and check out the NSD challenges and win some awesome prizes this weekend.

There is an online chat in about 3 hours and I will be announcing the winners of the game last month as well as tons of prizes and challenges will be issued throughout the evening.

I will also be debuting the new kits for May in the online store and I even have a sneak preview of the 2 that I did this month...

oh and PS...... Please welcome Kassi and Bella as our newest TTS DT members ... Kassi is my 8 year old DD and will be sharing layouts with everyone tonight. Bella is the proud DD of Nancy and is 4 years old!!!!!! welcome to the team Kassi and BELLA!!!!!!

Most Recent Layouts I love

I have really had fun doing these layouts the last month and am proud of the way that most of them turned out.. the contest I was in really helped me become a better scrapper.. not to mention the help from all the gals at TTS... Thanks gals!!!! you know you RAWK out loud!!