{This Is My Life}

Changes All Around

Changes are plentiful around here lately, and I have to say that it feels really good.  I have always loved New Years.  The beginning of a new year feels like such a fresh start.  A clean slate.  There are always a few things that I want to start doing differently, or just start doing period.  Changes...

Camden's hair.

This was a big deal.  Camden is so not fond of hair cuts.  That is putting it mildly.  He really likes his hair short now that it's all over with.  Honestly, we were all fine with it long (even with the in-between-awkward-growing-out stage)... but the grandparents just could not seem to stand it any more.  One thing that didn't thrill me and Jeromy was how often strangers thought he was a girl.  He is our little man and it kind of stunk how often we heard "your 3 girls are precious!"  Ouch.  It looks super cool, but at the same time if he would tell me he really wants it long again, I would absolutely let him grow it out.  He is awesome... regardless of his hairstyle.

My Belly.

Photo by Camden

This is me about thirty minutes ago.  14 weeks pregnant.  Is anyone else nervous for me?  How big will my belly be at 24 weeks?  Or 34 weeks?  Oh my.  I really love having a sweet, beautiful belly again though.  I always loved that part.  Only 6 weeks until we find out if we will have a little girl or little boy in there!  Yay!

New Family Member.

Beautiful.  Isn't she?  A pure bred Cocker Spaniel.  She will be joining our family in February.  She will be about 8 weeks old by then.  Ella is insisting that we name her Darlin' (her version of Darling), but I'm trying to come up with something else that she will agree to.  Any ideas?

The House.
No photos as of yet, but my Mom has been majorly helping me organize my house.  Mom, I can't thank you enough!  She knows how I really want my home and she is great at lighting a fire under my butt.  Haha!  I will take photos of the wonderful new playroom the kids have now.  Hopefully I will post those in the next few days.

New Project.

Emily Falconbridge is leading a really cool project called 52Q.  Throughout the year, she will post a question every week.  Then we will answer the question on whichever type of "canvas" we choose.  She is using little shipping tags like these and I thought it was an adorable idea, so I am doing the same!  I struggled at first with trying to be creative and thinking of some out-of-the-box little canvas of my own, and then I stopped acting like a perfectionist and just went with her idea.  It's so fun!  I will try my hardest to post my tag each week.  If you decide to join in, please share it with me!  Leave a comment with a link to your picture or blog.

One last change to note... one that has yet to happen.  I am finally seriously thinking of dreading my hair.  It feels like just the right time for me.  I will definitely share my journey with you if I go ahead with it.

I am thanking God for the wonderful things He has done for our family in the last year and looking ahead to the amazing things He has in store for us this year!

me to WE

Created this for a contest over on Elsie's blog!

First Faces

I was so excited when I saw these faces that I sent them by phone to family members!  These are Camden and Ella's first drawn face (Camden's is on the left, Ella's on the right).  I love looking at the pages that they color... particularly the drawings on blank paper vs. color book pages.  I love seeing what their own little imaginations conjure up.  Ella had drawn her face first and told me, "Look at my ugwy face."  I, of course, assured her that her face was far from ugly and told her how much I loved it.  I asked Camden if he wanted to try drawing a face and he did!  He even added ears, to my delight!  {big smile}  I'm off to frame them!

Funky Findings

Who would have thought there were such cool patterns inside all of these commercial envelopes?  I actually went through some older piles of paperwork this morning and was super excited to find more.  Here is a sweet daily something from yesterday...

ETA:  I only used a sheet of printer paper, photo, pens, and clipping from advertisements I got in the mail yesterday (Old Navy & Blockbuster).

Don't Rob Yourself

After a crazy evening like tonight, only a huge smile like that can make me look forward to doing it all again tomorrow.  Who wouldn't want to kiss all over my little, chunky Maya?  So sweet & so fun lately!

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Do you ever let yourself get hung up on details?  I do.  A lot.  My perfectionism can easily be translated into laziness, and quite often is . . .  even by myself. 

Example:

Ali Edwards came up with this neat little idea she calls daily something.  I loved the idea and immediately felt compelled to grab something and pour out my creativity onto it.  One little problem... I loved the raw feel of reusing envelopes like she was doing, but I wanted to come up with a unique canvas.  So I decided I would think of something else to use.  Four weeks later, I finally just pick up an envelope and create.  My perfectionism robbed me of a month's worth of my own art.  Sad, but true.

Monday:

Tuesday:

Almost Too Tired to Type

It's only for a smile like these that I could possibly still be awake.  It is half an hour past midnight and I just painted a small canvas for Camden.  I promised him I would create a painting for him, because I just put an old one of a heart up for Ella.  It's no Lightning McQueen (that's what he so desperately wanted), but it matches his KuKunest bedding set.  This is a little 8"x8" canvas, by the way.

Aaaand just because I'm crazy like that, here is a picture of me up at this ungodly hour...

Hello

Last week I made a cute card set with Love, Elsie products.  So fun!  I left them blank inside so that they can be used for pretty much any occasion.  I really love how quickly cards can be made.

First Flickr Favorites

1. Petals on Compost Bin, 2. Hand on Pink Dress, 3. "The Smell of Suntan Lotion!", 4. Behind Back Porch Restaurant, 5. A Good Drying Day, 6. Peppers at the Market, 7. red gerber daisys, 8. Toybox, 9. Morning Coffee, 10. inviting..., 11. journal, 12. Enchanted Tea Party, 13. Door to the secret garden...., 14. Serendipity Books - Childrens' Corner, 15. Lalo, 16. Japanese Fabric

I have been spending way too much time on Flickr.  It's addictive.

Bigger Than Myself

I was so exhausted a few nights ago, but I just could not let myself go to bed until I created something.  So I grabbed my pens & Sharpies and flipped over a piece of "To Do List" paper and just had a little fun.

I am so ready to scrap today!  Finally.  So I think I will make myself do some laundry, and then I will create something.  I'm actually excited about it!

For a little yumminess...

Party Time

This is my favorite out of all of the photos I snapped at my niece Elexa's 2nd birthday party Saturday.  I didn't pose her either.  Isn't she adorable?  And I just love the style and colors of the furniture and rug!  The party was at her grandmother's house, and it's a beautiful home.

Here are a few more shots from the party: