Happy Monday

Good Morning. Hope it is nice and sunny where ever you are. It's not here - gloomy and cloudy - an Eeyore kind of day. These are Cole's favorite though - he loves cloudy days.

We had a really busy and fun weekend - lots of visiting and lots of accomplished at home. I got loads and loads of laundry done - not fun, but always feels good when it's done, right? Sadly, there's always more waiting around the corner - you never catch up on laundry.

All our visiting this weekend was great. We saw Jason's aunt and uncle and their five girls. The youngest is just over a year old and just adorable. She's the cutest thing - took lots of pictures of her too, but sadly none of anyone else while they were there. Shame on me. Speaking of picture taking, I can't find my charger or replacement battery for the camera. My battery is getting low and I have no idea where it got packed. I remember the last time I used it and what bag it was in, but have no clue where that bag actually is - well, that's not entirely true - it's in a box, I just don't know which one!! Hopefully I will locate that very soon. I need to take some pictures of Cole now that we're in a house that actually has windows and great natural light pouring in. Our dungeon of an apartment was not the place to take indoor pictures without a flash.

We also went to a cookout last night with our small group from church. A good time was had by all. Jason met some guys - which is a plus since he hasnt' met many people here yet. And he got to meet a few of the scrapping girls I know so that was cool. Cole got to hang out with his girlfriends - Alyssa and Alayna - and now he counts Marissa in the girlfriend role call. He's added an older women too - Savannah. She's in 7th grade and is really great with kids. She's also pretty great with adults - I really enjoyed talking to her and listening to her talk about school and DisneyWorld - she knows a lot of DisneyWorld. We were surrounded by Disney fans last night - and as much as we love it and know about it - we don't know much compared to them. It just made me more excited about our trip!! I cannot wait to go!!

We also talked with one couple there (Savannah's mom and dad) about Cole and St. Jude and our whole cancer experience. We really always enjoy talking about it - even though it was such an ordeal. I think we're far enough away from it that talking about it is easy. I'm not saying I could stand up and talk to loads of people about it, like some families we know, but having a conversation with people, I can handle. And the big thing is we have a happy ending - it's good stuff. Some stories aren't - some stories haven't ended yet as the kids are still fighting. But it's so good to talk about Cole and all he went through and what a great place St. Jude is. We can't talk about how wonderful they are enough.

I also got lots of boxes that were in the way put away or emptied. The empty boxes are piling up in the garage. We need to break them down, bundle them up and store them away. That's what we did in the apartment, so we're hoping to do the same thing again. We have company coming in less than two weeks, so I have lots to do. Jason's brother, his wife and our nephew are coming, along with another couple and possibly another friend. We're all planning on heading to Tuscaloosa for the A-Day game later in April. We cannot wait. I have NO Alabama shirt to wear though - I have a long sleeve, but I need a short sleeve shirt. Just can't go to a game without your game gear on. I also need to get my 'bama princess' sticker on my car!! So the houseful is coming and we'll have tons of fun while they are here, but I still have lots to do to get ready for them. I'm hoping this weekend I can actually get the kitchen unpacked. Then there wont' be much left at all!!

Alrighty - I've been typing this post forever, thank goodness for the autosave feature. It's almost time for lunch and a team meeting, so I've got to run! (This post started last night - should it take this long to blog?)

Lisa

Is it Friday yet?

Nope - not yet. But I'm waiting, impatiently for it to arrive. I spent a little bit more time in my studio yesterday but not nearly enough. Too many other errands to deal with. I'll be back in there today though and hopefully will get it at least neat enough for me to work on some ATC's this weekend. I am currently in 5 swaps!! YES - 5. Not to mention the 10+ charm bracelets I need to have assembled by April 15th!! Good Grief. So as soon as the studio is livable and workable, I need to deal with the bracelets, then the cards? I don't know. I want to do it all. I'm doing a swap about Fairytales and Children's books - right up my alley!! I'm doing my favorite children's book ever - The Poky Little Puppy. I used to have this on a read along 45 - you know those vinyl things that you only find in thrift shops these days. I can't wait to get to work on this one. I love that little puppy!!! Then I'm doing two swaps where Kenny is involved, imagine that! And another is also a children's theme so my little puppy will get used for two swaps, too. Then the last one is a swap I started at SIStv and it started out as a teen crush thing because I'm obsessed with old school teen drama's - not Saved by the Bell drama but 90210 and Dawson's Creek and things like that - ok those are the only two. I do love Party of Five, but it isn't shown anywhere in reruns, sadly. And only two seasons have been released on DVD - which I have already. Anyway - I'm doing ATC's with Joshua Jackson. He played Pacey on Dawson's Creek. Not sure why I love him so - maybe it's just as simple as his good looks and how the younger Pacey reminds me of the younger Jason :) or maybe it's because he was always the under dog in the show but ends up with the girl in the end. The girl being Katie Holmes who was way more normal back in the Dawson days. I worry a bit about her now. Tom Cruise = Nutso!! Anyway, I have so many things I want to work on, so many layouts in my head that so need to be on paper. I have sketches on sticky notes - things that randomly come to mind during the day at work and I just have to write down before I forget - hence the sticky notes!! So maybe this weekend, I'll get some crafting time. Jason has to work Saturday morning for a few hours, so I'm hoping that will be MY time!! Then he'll have homework - again, more my time!!

We are hopefully going to a cookout Sunday evening for the small group I've been attending from church. If Jason gets enough homework done, we can make the cookout!! I'm hoping it happens - the people in the group are fun and I would love for Jason to get to meet them since he never gets to go with me to our meetings. I'm also counting down to summer for several reasons - first no school so me and Cole will have lots of time together at home. This means lots of scrapping time for me, lots of cartoons for him and a bit of summer school. Cole thinks we'll be 'playing school' every day!! :) fun stuff! And Jason won't be in school, so he'll be home at night all the time instead of just four nights a week. Cole misses him so much. I do too, of course, but I understand why he has to be gone. Cole just doesn't get it. Summer also means less homework for Jason since no school, which means more time he can spend with us, going to small group, church, etc - the things that are important to me.

I'm also hoping I can get Cole enrolled in something fun at the McWane Center or at the very least just spend a lot of time there. I would like to buy a membership and go A LOT. Cole loves it and it's really so big that we could go every day for a week before Cole actually got to everything.

Ok - that's about enough rambling from me. OH - Mandy asked if I finished my One Fine Day album that the wonderful Virginia taught at Scrap Etc. I haven't. I haven't done anything with my photos yet - but I want to so badly. It's on my list. I hate not having a completed album!!! So hopefully after the Scrap Etc. Event, I'll be able to get my wedding photos scanned and print a few and finish my album. I've already decided on a few pictures that I have to have in there - so that's an accomplishment. And Mandy - you mentioned a Kenny story - HELLO - spill it girl - you know I love him more than scrapbook supplies - and that's saying A LOT!!

Ok - one more thing - Cole watched a little of American Idol with me last night - he usually doesn't care about it until the end and I think really he just gives in at that point and still doesn't really care. Anyway, he watched last night and was actually moved to tears that Chikeze was sent home. He cried!!! He didn't want him to lose. Now, it's not because he's watched him everyweek and loves his voice - he just doesn't ever want anyone to lose - well, unless it means he wins. So I tried to explain to him that it was ok, it's like a game and the person with the fewest votes goes back home, but they are ok with it - since they get to see their family again. That just made him even more sad. Poor sweet thing. He's so sad for people when they don't get their way!! He fell asleep last night with tears in his eyes for Chikeze. Sad sad!! He loved American Idol last year because he thought Blake Lewis was awesome and loved to sing along with him - and he can beat box pretty well too!! :) I told him we could watch next week together and he could call and vote and hopefully he's pick won't get sent home. I would love for him to get more into this since there's no one else home with me to watch it - but if he cries for the loser each week - it's not worth it. I figure we'll give it another week with me encouraging him to watch and if it's too much for him, I'll just keep Spongebob on in his room and all will be happy again!!

Oh - and I'm hoping that Trace Adkins is THE man tonight and wins the Apprentice!!

lisa