a little something creative....

Phew.... just when I thought I would have to sell all my supplies...

If you are happy and you know it....

Clap your hands! Riley can clap now! She did it several times yesterday and a couple times this morning, however she wont do it for Daddy yet. He probably thinks that I am the biggest liar in the whole world! I can tell him "riley rolled over" or "riley crawled" and she wont do it for him! Stubborn baby!

So no big plans for the day. We are going to Miss Jen's tonight for a cookout. I made pasta salad, and brownies. I currently have eggs cooling in the fridge for deviled eggs. We decided that this would be our "block party". This is easy to do, considering that we are the only two on our whole block!

We have the rest of the "posts" laid in concrete in the backyard. I dont know what these things really do, but something with holding floor joists or something. Derrick is going to go get the wood for the floor today. Should prove to be exciting!

Its so damn hot. Seriously. I feel like I am smothering already, and its only 9:45 in the morning. We turned on the air for a while yesterday, and I am hoping that it kicks on shortly for today. I hate that its pretty out, but we have to have the house closed up cause of the heat!

alright. Hoping for some creative energy today. I really want to get some pages scrapped!

Foward Motion.....

Thats right. We are moving. Rocking and rolling. Crawling. Full speed ahead. Its priceless. Now that she has figured it out, she cant get enough! Today I picked her up off the kitchen floor. Three times. Over and over. She cant resist it. I can. The floor is so dirty, its the last place that I want her to be. Its not that I dont clean, but with the addition in progress, I cant keep that floor dust free to save my life! It sucks. Really sucks.

So let me think. Amber pointed out to me that I have not blogged in 2.5 weeks, so I better catch everyone up..... :)

Brian got married today. To Lisa. I am not sure how long they have been dating (isnt that sad) but they do seem pretty happy, so I am excited for them. Brian goes back out to CA on Monday. He will be back on base for two to three weeks, before coming home, and then going to his "home base" wherever that may be.

We have talked to Matt through email back and forth. We really miss him, but are trying to stay upbeat.

Vanessa and Chandra are backpacking it through Europe. I am kinda jelous. So mom and Dad, when you read this, next time, I want to go. Please? I have this vision of them being "stranded, like Cash Peters", that TV show on the travel channel. Mmmm... love the travel channel.

I am working on the "scrapbook project" still. I thought that my snapfish pics would come today, but I am still waiting. Meanwhile, I am going to alter a journal for cindt, since I found out that she isnt keeping track of pregnancy details for me. THere can not be a maternity album without details! I am thinking that I may have to go live with her when the baby is born, just so I can keep track of things when they happen, for the poor peanuts baby book!

Okay. Long enough for one night. I PROMISE that I will try to blog more often.....

Uncle Matt

We snapped these pics of Uncle Matt and Riley, on his last day here in Central Illinois. Daddy helped Riley into the packing box that Uncle Matt was using. Isnt her expression priceless?

So we are missing Matt, All of us. Its so weird knowing that we cant pick up the phone and call, like normal. I know that the time until he comes back will fly by, but looking at it right now, it feels like an eternity!

Derrick went and picked up the blocks for the foundation tonight. We are rocking and rolling. The plan is to try to lay the block this weekend, in between mothers day visits and phone calls.

I think thats all the gossip for the time being. Kinda lonesome that I dont have more to report! Looking foward to tomorrow, cause its my last day of the work week! I am off on Friday, but am helping to host the nurses lunch. I think that it will be fun, it just stinks that it has to occur on my day off! OKay.... of to find some games for the nurses to play....

Hey! You takin' my O's??

Utter cuteness. 'nuff said. thanks to aunt chandra for talking the awsome picture....

number 2

This one scanned WAY greener than it is. But it was super simple. And fast. Love it!

one down.....

Okay, here is a newbie. Love this kid. love her! love her expressions! I love this paper too! Its so stinking fun! hmmm.. I think I need more! Anyway... first of hopefully many tonight... I just finished sewing on another layout while this picture was posting......

Sigh... its FRIDAY!!!

Summer hours are here baby! Two out of Three docs dont work Friday afternoons, so we get to take Friday afternoons off, on a rotating basis. I was so ready to go today! Stopped by hobby lobby. I got some new "goodies" to play with. I have this amazing project in my mind... i think that I will get started on it tonight! Its a little box, that I will fill with a handmade album. I get all excited thinking about it... alright, thats it, I am off to paint!!

Is it only Tuesday?

So Aunt Chandra came and watched Riley today! I had the oppertunity to take half the day off, but ended up going back to work. There was so much that I needed to finish, but forgot to get things off the computer. I ended up working in the docs bullpen all afternoon, to tackle some of it, and its still not finished....

The concrete has been poured. Now we have to buy the block. Fun. I would rather spend the money on oh, say, scrapbooking?

i think this is going to be a short post, i need to fold a load of laundry, and work on something for work... total fun at my house tonight...

pics from the weekend...

Hmmm... So obviously Saturday night was a lot of fun! Wont go into all the nitty gritty details here, but lets just say that we all wound up with about 3 hours sleep Saturday night. It was really good to get to see Matt, and hang out, like we all used to.

Riley did well at Grandma and Grandpa's. I think that Derrick really missed her, because he was really concerned about when I was going to go pick her up. He is so cute with her, the most perfect daddy ever!

Not much else around here. I am getting ready to either clean or scrapbook. I am really leaning towards scrapbooking. I have a layout almost complete, and will try to post tonight...

Happy Birthday to me!!

I LOVE my birthday. Love it. I have spent all morning shopping! So excited! I got TONS of stuff at the scrapbook store, and am ready to go back for more! Derricks mom got me a new shirt, and a new pair of Jammie pants. I think that we will be headed to the mothership (GAP) soon. I got the cutest shirt today to wear out tonight! i am soooo excited! Cant wait! Ready to drink a little bit. Or a lotta bit. I cant lie! (sorry mom and dad). Its been so long since I have been out in this type of setting, so I am raring to go. Derricks mom is going to keep Riley tonight, so that we dont have to worry about driving home. Thank goodness.

So thats it... off to play with some of my new goodies...

Kyle, Kyle Kyle!

So. Loveing myspace. Seriously loving it. Logged on to see if I could get some dirt on my sisters. (sorry guys...) Ended up finding my little brother! Okay. So maybe you are thinking "hmmmm. Kristen has a brother? I didnt know!" it strue! All true! Kyle and I have the same birthfather. We met about six years ago, after finding my birthmother. We have been out of contact for about four years, but we started talking again on Sunday! Good times. Good times! I cant wait to go see him soon!

So today sucked. People calling in. Here is a message. Serious message. Call into work? Dont get online. It looks bad. Really bad. To sick to work? To sick to play. Vent over.

So here is another issue--I dont get it. I hate Health Alliance. I really do. With a passion. I spent close to six hours today dealing with them on an issue. I had the patient to doctor soordinator tell me "Why dont you understand? Its so simple" Whatever.

Seriously people. Its two days away from my birthday. Give me a freaking break.

I feel like I am struggling so bad right now, just cause I cant get through to people. I say things until I am blue in the face, and still things dont get done right. It blows my mind. These are SIMPLE tasks. Simple.

The sad thing? This entry would be a whole lot worse, but I dont know who is "watching" my blog. Arrrggg.

new pages!

Sadly, this is it so far... well I have some pages for Cindy's album... but thats all! Overall though, I would say it was a pretty productive weekend!

New ones....

Well. I guess my mojo is coming back. Full speed ahead! The three purple and green pages are for Cindy's maternity album. The "Is she your only?" is one of my favorites that I have ever done. I was asked by a woman in IGA if Riley was my only. I replied yep, for right now. I thought about this all day. She is my only. My only girl. My only first child. My only child. My only person in a crib. My only person with the most toys. She is my only. Even when we add another one into the mix, she will still be my only fist. maybe my only girl. she will still be the only one that taught us how to get spit up on. the only that taught us diaper changes. the only one that first taught us our hearts could exist outside of our bodies.

okay getting teary.

there has to be some laundry or something domestic to do around here....

Now, are these not the sweetest pictures ever? Major, Major thanks to Amber who took these photos. You can see more of her awsome work here, at www.photographicsgallery.net She amazes me!

We just got back from the treck to the post office. All that walking for one Target Bill. Doesnnt seem right!

The little one is down in her playpen, working on a plan for a nap, or lack there of. I need to get a picture printed of Riley and Zachary together, and write a note to Brian. It seems impossible that he will be home in just a couple short weeks. Cant wait to see him. Plus (and this is bad) I know that he is missing tons of food around here, so I cant wait to have a going out to eat partner!

No scrapping last night. I guess I am still formulating. Hopefully I will get some ages cranked out today....

Ha! I did it!!!

<-----mmm a whole basket of letter stamps. Love it. Is it sad that this is one of many baskets of letter stamps?



Above: The way my "cutting station" should look. Looks productive huh? That cute little lunchbox in the background? Paints. Gotta love it!

<---- fine speciman we have here. The way a ribbon bucket should look!














My Desk. its clean!!!! Who woulda thunk it??

Hmmm... I thought that I uploaded a picture of my clean shelves too. Oh well. I sorted all my paper. By company, color, ect. Those of you that love scrapbooking will see the importance of this. There is nothing like searching for that peice of basic grey paper (this is a brand for all you non scrapbook people) and not being able to find it. To ease this common pain, I sort by company, then by paper. Sounds obbsessive huh? It is my friend. It is.

So now I should be scrapping right? I am formulating in my head. Thats all. Formulating. I am hoping to turn out something wonderful tonight. And now, the master (okay wanabe master) must go to work.

Wanna peek??

<-------my shelves. Stocked with paper. stamps. paper. goodies. silk flowers. paper. idea books. paper. unfinished albums. did I mention paper?


<-----this is my veiw into my room. its soooo tiny. but its mine. I olny have to share with derrick after nine, and only then if he wants to play online poker. or pay bills. i will let him in to pay bills. The white table (with the silver and green buckets) holds my paper trimmer. I cant even see it. Bad news! The green bucket holds ribbons. TONS of ribbons. and those are only carded or spooled ribbon. loose ribbon is stored in another basket!


<----- okay I had to stand on a chair for this one. this is where I scrapbook. Where you ask? Thats why my cutting table is covered. I move and work move and work. See the open desk drawer on the left? Full of boxes and boxes off all sorts of fun stuff. Brads. Eyelets. Buttons. See the open long drawer on the front of the desk? Full of rub-ons. Tons of rubons. You cant really see it, but there is a Longaberger basket on the pulled out chair. Full. More rubons, more stickers. More everything.






<---- these two arejust dofferent veiws. I didnt even include my seven drawer cart. Yikes.














So why all the pictures? A major cleanup is about to happen. Major. Tonight. I can not scrapbook in theis chaos. I need some sort of order, some "pick" up system. It has gotten way out of control! Lets hope I have some CLEAN pictures to post tonight.

Which one?

I am not going to say which one I took apart and remade into the new one... which one do you like best?

Easter, Easter, Easter.....

Easter pics for everyone!! So ready for the cutest thing ever? The Easter Bunny spent 40 bucks on a walker. Riley got in it, pulled the hamper over to her, and chewed on the handle. We coulda spent 5 bucks and gotten her a laundry basket! Silly girl!

Easter went well. We all went to church together, even Derrick. Yes the church is still standing! Riley tried to sing over and over with us, but ended up yelling more than anything. She's still cute though! Her dress was a hit! Thanks Amber!

I did manage to get a good picture of Riley and Zachary together this weekend. THis is the first time we have seen him since Brian left, so I am hoping to get this printed and mailed off to brian as soon as possible.

Rumor had it that Brian was going to get to call home yesterday. We didnt hear anything at mom and dads but we dont know if he tried to call jennifer and Zachary. She wouldnt tell us anyway. I told Zachary that daddy comes home in 36 days, and we will have cake and ice cream then. Jennifer told him that his Daddy went away for job and wasnt coming back. Stupid &(*&#$%.

Well I am putting the finishing touches on a new Layout. I am going to post it here later tonight. This is one that I took apart and did over, so I will have a "voting" contest..... maybye that will atract some more comments!

scrapbooking? who? me??

i finally got my pictures back from Winkflash. all i want to do is scrapbook! i spent so much of last night trying to clean up the house, that i was pooped after Riley went to bed! tonight she went a little early, so i have been all over the scrapbooking! i can not resist! i am totally loving this layout. it talks about how i wish i could reach over and just push pause. keep her this way forever. and ever.

Riley attended her first wedding today. she did remarkably well! very quiet, until the end, when they were dismissing everyone. she wore her cute little old navy dress that we got from amber. it was simply adorable.

well the easter bunny has a lot of work to do tonight... there are eggs to dye, eggs to fill, a walker to put together, and baskets to fill......guess mr. bunny better hop to it!!