Where in the heck!

*I just had to share another picture of little J!*
Where did I get all the sCRAP! When we came back from Europe last month, it was a mad dash to plan little J's birthday party, and get ready for Christmas. Needless to say, my scraproom has suffered and looked like a disaster area. So, this week has been a clean and organize week for me. My scraproom is now clean enough to do something in again. I did however find that I HAVE A TON OF STUFF! My first New Year's resolution will be to go back on my spending challenge. Things were going so well for awhile, and then it all just fell apart! As I was going through my stash, I found so many things that I really want to put on some pages. The only problem with that, is that now all these ideas are jumbled up in my head and I'm having trouble putting them on to paper.

So, here are just a few of my resolutions as far as this scraping habit goes:
1. Use my stash!
2. Be more frugal in my buying. I have actually made great improvements in this area over the last year. Thanks to Stacey and Rebecca.
3. Be more productive! No more kits, unless I have a plan to use them!
4. Purge! Be ready for the next garage sale and get some of this stuff that I know I will never use outta here!
5. Back to the spending challenge!!!

Merry Christmas!

Things have been so crazy busy around here, that I have not had much chance to update my blog lately. I love Christmas time so much, even with all the craziness of it. The Christmas shopping is just about done! I am always so last minute with the shopping, but (and I know this sounds weird), I love all the last minute running around! This Christmas will be very low key around here. Just the three of us and one of my sister-in-laws. I totally dig hanging out with her! G says it is crazy, how we are so much alike. It's really cool, that I feel like she is my sister, since I don't have any biologically speaking. Anyway, Something to look forward to, my SIL,
Rebecca and I went to see Memoirs of a Geisha. I'll tell you more about our fun another day! I wanted to share this adorable photo of little J smiling and wish you all a very Merry Christmas! See you soon!

I'm so lucky!

Okay, so yesterday was a day of venting. Today, I decided that there should be just happy talk! It is so amazing how fast little J is growing up. I was just looking at his photo with Santa compared to the one we had taken last year. WOW! What a huge difference! It really seems like I was just pregnant yesterday. The pictures here were taken in October, when we went for little J's first trip to the pumpkin patch. I love how the photos turned out! The only thing I wonder, is why, when I finally get to be in a photo with little J, and I like how I look, can't G take the photo when he's smiling? As you can see, I captured little J smiling with G! Oh well, I'm so lucky to have both of them.....I'm just happy :)

I just need to vent!

I am getting so frustrated right now. I joined a circle journal group back in March of 2004. We didn't start sending our journals out until April. Around May, I found out I was pregnant with little J, thus my lack of energy which got me behind in completing some of the circle journals in a timely fashion. So, I got behind. Well, by July I think, I was all caught up, and things were rolling. I had warned my fellow circle journalers that come December, it might take me a little longer to complete my journal assignment for that month, since little J was due to make his appearance. There was no problem. I think I was about 3 weeks late getting this journal out, and then things were back on track. Meanwhile, I was not the only one getting behind. People were going MIA left and right. So, in July, a few of us started getting antsy to find out the progress of the journals and started sending check-in emails. We still were not hearing from a few of our group members. Then, we finally get a post from one of the MIA journalers. She posts that she received my album back in December...(UM HELLO! It's July!) She says that she decided to hang on to it, because I was behind at the time, and she wanted to make sure I got things going again...(UM HELLO AGAIN! I let the group know I would be delivering a baby! Sorry I didn't take the CJ to the hospital and complete it in the labor room!) Anyway, I let the comment slide, because I knew she had some personal things that took her attention away from the group and she seemed to feel bad that she'd had it so long, and she was going to get it moving again in a couple of weeks. Well, here we are in December, and SHE STILL HAS IT! Along with 2 other journals. Now, I'm getting freaking mad! Now, one of the gals in the group, just wants her journal back, and wants to be done. While I completely understand this, it sucks, because she is an amazing artist, and I really wanted to see her work in my album! It sucks, because my album will not be complete, but this CJ holder will have everyone's work. Also, I finally posted to the group that I was upset about her comments back in July, but let it slide at the time, but now that my journal has been in her care for a year, I just had to vent a bit. It just sucks! Thankfully, I'm in a CJ with some other gals I know, and things are going great with that one. Thanks for reading my long rant! I promise something more fun and uplifting tomorrow!

Santa in Switzerland!!!

While we were in Switzerland, they started their annual Christmas market. What an amazing experience! In town, they have lots of little chalets set up, with people selling everything from food to handmade goods to even some stamp supplies. The stamp supplies were the closest thing I got to scrapbooking the entire time we were there! Wow, was I going through withdrawls! Anyway, back to the Christmas market. They also have Santa's office. You take this train ride, which is about 1 hour, up this mountain, and at the top is this long tunnel you walk through, and at the end, is this amazing view, with a small area to have a beverage, and Santa's office. This was so much fun! Everyone there was so nice, and Santa was not busy at that time at all, so he spent time chatting with us, and little J was just in awe. I realize at 1, he really doesn't get the whole Santa thing, but he was smiling the entire time Santa was holding him, and even when we put him back in the stroller, he was just staring and smiling at Santa. I am so thankful, that we went ahead and purchased the photos they were selling there, as my camera broke, and the photos I took of little J with Santa did not turn out at all. I love the little smile on his face! Priceless!!

WOW! What a crazy couple of weeks!

WOW! I can't believe that just over a week ago, I was still in Paris! Things around here have been non-stop since we arrived home on the November 30th. I can't even remember when I've had a moment to think! After a long flight home and a few escapades in the Dallas/Ft. Worth Airport, we put our feet on the San Francisco soil and we have not stopped since. When we got home, we had 4 days to prepare for little J's first birthday party. That was no easy task either. Since we left the house in a huge disaster, we had to clean house, order food, order the cake, go to the laundromat(more on this later), and get the house decorated. Whew, I'm tired just thinking about it again! The party was a great success, and thanks to all my friends who came! Little J has been having fun with all his new toys.

Yes, even after the great vacation, I had to come home and go back to the laundromat. We had a ton of laundry, and still no laundry room. But.......Big news flash here......AS OF SUNDAY, I WILL HAVE MY LAUNDRY ROOM BACK!!! ***Me doing the happy dance here*** We still have not settled with the freak who messed it all up, but we got the floor finished today! My brand new washer and dryer get moved back in tomorrow! WAHOOOOO!

So, anyway, it's good to be back! I owed a few of you some postcards, which I will send out...even though I'm back already, but I was thinking of you!! Things will really be back to normal, when DH finally goes back to work! AHHHH...the house to myself (and little J)!

PICTURES TO FOLLOW SOON!