How to have a semi-bad month...

Ok, it has been a while since I have blogged, but I have had valid reasons... you know how they say bad things happen in 3? I can attest to that one this month. It all started about 3 weeks ago, I was leaving Wal-Mart & I got backed into. Luckily there was no damage to my car, but I still count that as a bad thing. Then 2 weeks ago the furnace broke & we had no heat, so I had to figure out how to get that fixed... so that was 2... number 3 happened on Thursday of last week. I got into ANOTHER car accident. This time I wasn't so lucky. I was fortunate that no one was hurt in the accident, & my car only has cosmetic damage - which forced me to rent a car, which I can't complain about because it is totally a step up from my car! I have a 2006 Kia Spectra, which I really like, but for the next 2 1/2 weeks I am driving around in a 2008 Toyota Avalon with all the perks. One thing that I have noticed is that it's a lot bigger than my car, so parking isn't the greatest form of fun, but it will do for now. The other part that is stinky is that I have to go back to Iowa in 2 weeks to go to court. I'm crossing my fingers that I can call & get out of having to appear in person, because I just don't want to have to go back there!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Other than those things, not much new is going on. I'm attaching some pictures from Halloween with my cousins. This is the 3rd year that I have celebrated here in KC, & I love getting to see the boys dressed up in their costumes. We took them to Boo at the Zoo the Sunday before Halloween, & that was fun. Alec was dressed up as Indiana Jones, & Zach was a pumpkin. I will say I think he is the cutest pumpkin I have seen since my niece was one last year. The funniest part of the night was when we were Trick-or-Treating & this lady handed Zach a 3 Musketeer bar & he looked at it, looked at her & threw it back into the bowl. Then she handed him a Kit-Kat, he said Thank You, which sounded like Tutu, turned around & happily put it in his bag. It's amazing how fast they grow up. He can't say Libby yet, but I am very happy with his version, Bibby - it's way better than when Alec used to call me an old Biddy. He surprised me Saturday night when I was babysitting them by saying Uh-oh Spaghettios! I didn't know that he knew that one, & the boys were very excited to be getting the new Madagascar toys from McDonald's, & they both received Marty the Zebra, & Zach was all over saying Zebra, & after their baths when I showed them their Zebra's talked, they both sat in a chair & pounded them on the ottoman OVER & OVER & OVER until I couldn't take it anymore & had to shut them off. That was definitely a fun night!

Until next time, enjoy these photos....

How to share pictures of your house...

How to have an exhausting, but exciting weekend with Dad!

I have to give props to my Dad is this blog post. He is truly a blessing, & I couldn't be happier that he is my dad. He has been saying he was going to come down & do some things to the house for weeks now...which to me was looking like next year. Well, earlier this week one of the toilet's broke (I know, I am SPOILED!) so I sent a S.O.S. text to my dad saying we needed him. Somehow I convinced him to come down this weekend to fix the toilet, but what neither of us knew was that there were going to be some BIG changes!

He arrived late Friday night & luckily my mom had asked me if I made a list of all the things I wanted done...which of course I had not. So I compiled my list with random things like: a)fix the toilet, b)patch the wall & rehang the toilet paper holder, c)fix my door, d)make the air conditioner stop leaking, e)replace the batteries in the smoke detectors, & f)put a ceiling fan downstairs. So Saturday morning we got up early & went to Lowe's. I picked out a ceiling fan, then ended up getting a new light fixture for the kitchen. We bought all the other things we needed to complete the list. I dropped dad off at my house & then I headed to pick up Zach & Alec from their grandparents at Applebee's. I have to say those 2 are troopers because they were angels the WHOLE day! I took them to Home Depot to pick up some paint and then we went back to see the progress my dad had made. He had the whole list almost completed! Alec & Zach went down for naps, & that is when dad realized that hanging the ceiling fan was not going to work because there was nothing to support it to. So, after naps we headed back to Lowe's to return the ceiling fan. We went to a different one, & ended up coming out with another light fixture, & a new main kitchen light(the one that was there would not turn on if it was below 70 degrees & it was getting annoying)! I asked my dad if he checked to see what kind of light bulbs were needed, but he assured me that we had them (HA! At 10 that night I was driving around to different Wal-Mart's trying to find the light bulb with no success). Then we stopped for dinner & we took dad home. I stayed at my aunt & uncle's with the boys, so I didn't get to see the finished products of what he was doing. My dad actually called me a couple of times today to see if I had made it home to see what he did...& he was the first person I called when I walked in! It's amazing how a few light fixtures can change a lot! I have posted pictures below.

On another note, all of those things were great, but the BEST thing that my dad did this weekend was to fix the air conditioner! It has leaked for the whole summer, I didn't know why & I never got around to calling anyone. Go figure that there was a piece that was plugged & once he cleaned it out & fixed it...NO MORE WATER! Aah, although summer is almost over, I am relieved!

The best quote of the night though was when I was driving Alec & Zach back to their house...Alec said "Today was a GREAT day! Hanging out with Uncle Ralph, Cousin Libby & Ziggy Zach couldn't have been better." I totally agree!

How to drive down the Lost Highway...ok, we weren't really lost!

This past weekend I was able to go back to Wisconsin for a few days. We left on Thursday & came back Sunday evening. I had a jam packed weekend! Lots of driving, watching soccer games, hanging out with my family, & getting to see a friend & meet her baby. Of course I made sure to eat some cheese curds! It's cool because the next time I go back there will be a Sonic in Wisconsin! I can't wait to take my little sister there, she always tries to convince me to bring her a Route 44 of Lemon Water when I drive up...it would probably make it, but I don't tell her that!

My niece Becca is growing by leaps & bounds! She changes so much these days. She did have a little bit of Stranger Danger in her this time & would cry whenever I picked her up, but on the last day I found a ray of hope when I learned if I gave her food she would hang out with me. She has started talking. Granted she can't say Libby yet (it's a tough word, but I do have to admit that I'm so glad that Zach can say Bibby!!!! He's been able to say Indiana Jones for weeks, & surprised me last week by breaking out Bibby), but she says "Bye guys," among other things. Her new thing though was if you asked her if it was loud she would plug her fingers in her ears. I do have a picture that is a bit ironic I think because she was on my shoulders & she was crying & I had my fingers in my ears!

Here are some of the pictures from my trip:

How to know 'You might be a Redneck'

You might be a Redneck...when you are driving through town & you see this:
Enough said!

How to make Sassy Potato Corn Chowder

The newest recipe to my collection:

Prep Time:
10 min

Total Time:
40 min

Makes:
6 servings

What You Need

4 slices OSCAR MAYER Bacon, chopped

3 cups cubed peeled potatoes (about 1-1/4 lb.)

1 can (13-3/4 oz.) chicken broth

1 pkg. (10 oz.) frozen whole kernel corn, thawed, drained

1/2 cup chopped onion

1/2 cup sliced celery

2 Tbsp. flour

1/2 cup MIRACLE WHIP Light Dressing

2 cups 2% reduced fat milk
10 oz. Velveeta

Make It

COOK bacon in large saucepan until crisp; drain. Return bacon to pan.

STIR in potatoes, broth, corn, onion and celery. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low; simmer 15 minutes or until potatoes are tender.

MIX dressing and flour in medium bowl. Stir in milk. Add to potato mixture. Cook 3 to 5 minutes or until thoroughly heated, stirring occasionally.

Add Velveeta & let it melt...then enjoy!

How to satisfy your taste buds!

About 2 weeks ago my friend Marjie asked if I would go to her house & play with her baby so that she could make up some freezer meals. Of course I said yes, & I even helped make a few of the meals. Oh my goodness, I never knew such good things existed! I have tried 2 of the recipes so far, & I have to tell you...for those of you that know me wouldn't see me typically eating these things, but I try.

First up is Cheesy Vegetable Soup

2 lb of frozen veggies - your choice--California Medley is good; 3 cans Fat-Free Chicken Broth; 1 can of Rotel tomatoes--it's up to you how spicy you want it! 10 oz. Light Velveeta
Dump all ingredients in the pot and bring to a boil. Let simmer for 4-5 minutes. Add 10 oz of Light Velveeta in small pieces (to melt faster). When it's melted in, you're ready to eat.

I tried this at Marjie's house to see if I would like it, but holy cow! I loved it! You really should try it - although I think next time I make it I will change up the vegetables a bit because I really like the carrot, cauliflower, broccoli combination, but I don't like the bottom pieces of the broccoli, & there seemed to be a lot of that in there. I think it would be just as good with just cauliflower in it - as I am a HUGE cauliflower topped with Velveeta & milk & Ritz crackers....oh man I'm making myself hungry.

The second recipe that I tried is called Chicken Packets (I am literally obsessed with eating this one now!!!)

You will need 6 oz. cream cheese, 4 c. of diced chicken, green onions (here is a tidbit - I had never before this purchased or cooked with green onions - thanks Marjie for showing me how!), & crescent rolls.

In a bowl you combine the cream cheese, chicken & green onions. Then you lay out the crescent rolls (2 of them together to make a rectangle), put mixture on them, top with crescent rolls, brush with melted butter & bake for 15-20 minutes.

These are so delicious & so easy to make, the remaining mixture you can put in the freezer & save it for the next time you would like to eat it.

I recommend trying both of these recipes! You won't be disappointed!

How to contemplate moving...again!

Ok, so I don't really know where to begin...but here goes. I spent the past weekend in the great state of Wisconsin. Ann was going to Minnesota, so I decided to tag-a-long so that I could see my family (apparently they were missing me), so my oldest sister Abby & her family picked me up in Minneapolis & we went to the Como Zoo since it was Becca's first birthday. After an interesting ride to Wisconsin (my 6 year old nephew was playing 20 questions...like why aren't you married? why don't you have kids? you get the point), & driving through tornado weather, we arrived at my parents house & had a very busy weekend, & I left at 7am on Sunday morning to meet Ann for the ride back. It was a fun trip, I got to see my family, I ran into a few guys I went to high school with (it made me realize how old I'm getting), and of course a lunch at the greatest place on earth...Kids Korner Pizza. We grew up on that stuff. I remember it was like a tradition - on Friday nights my dad would always pick up the pizza & we would have a family dinner. So it's kind of a tradition that when I go back we have to eat there.

Ok - so now to the point of the blog title - contemplating moving. I haven't really put any thought into moving since I bought a house (that reminds me, I need to blog about my 'moving' experience about a month ago), & the fact that I have a job & a few friends & with the exception of the weather it's not the worst place to live...but after the phone call I just got I have to decide if I really want to stay in Kansas...or move to Wisconsin as the UNTHINKABLE has happened! Ok - here is the story:

My dad called me up at like 10:10pm - which is unheard of for my dad as he is usually sleeping away in his recliner by this time, so I'm guessing the story tweaked his interest, or my mother started screaming because she was so excited & made him call me. So I answer the phone, honestly thinking that my dad is about to tell me that someone has died or something bad has happened, but the conversation goes like this...Hi Libby! Hi Dad. I just had to call you because you can now move back to Wisconsin. Why can I move back to Wisconsin? Libby, they are building a Sonic in Eau Claire!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Ok Dad. Why does that mean I can move back? Libby, you know the only reason that you don't live in Wisconsin is because they don't have Sonics, & by the end of the year it will be built (he even told me the address). Dad, you do know that the reason I don't live in Wisconsin isn't solely because of Sonic (about 72% though)? No - that is why you don't live here, so you can pack up & move now. Ok Dad. Good night, & I'm not moving back to Wisconsin this year. Bye Libby.

Seriously - I can't say I wouldn't mind living in Wisconsin - it is very tame in the summer! I was actually cold when I was there! I was like where are my jeans & my down jacket? Brr.

Ok - I will leave you with some pictures from my trip to Wisconsin this past weekend. It was good timing because I really needed some updated pictures!

How to admit that you suck at blogging!

I admit it...I am a HORRIBLE blogger! I didn't realize how long it truly has been since I posted a blog. That is going to be something I work on...to blog at least once a week, but we'll see how that goes. I have actually been taking a lot of pictures for posts, but they have just been stuck on my camera...until today. It has been really busy in the state of Kansas, in between thunder storms & tornado watches I have been scrapbooking like crazy! I sent 3 baby books to Texas a few weeks ago, today I sent some books to Kentucky, & this weekend I hope to send the final book that is on my list to Maryland. Woo that totally wore me out! Just thinking about all that I've done lately makes me want to take a nap!

This past weekend was cool. My aunt & uncle from Chi town were in for a visit. We went & saw Bodies Revealed at Union Station (not for the weak stomach people like me), & watching Zach & Alec's reactions was great. Alec kept yelling out that the 'bodies' had 'stuff'...but the best was when we saw the reproductive bodies! Alec yells...Hey, why does that body have stuff, but that body doesn't have stuff? I think I was lacking oxygen from not breathing. Then we went to dinner at Jack Stack's B-B-Q which was delicious, even if Zach & Alec had their hands all up in my food.

Here are some pictures that have been taken in the past week...

How to live out a life long dream you've had since you were 7 & Living on a Prayer

I'm going to try & keep this as simple & short as I can, but if you know me, then you know that I ramble. Back in October I was talking with my sister, & I think we were discussing Christmas presents. She asked what I wanted & I said that I would like to go to see Bon Jovi. Random thought, as the only other concert (besides The Wiggle's) I have attended was Bryan Adams back in 1994 when I was 13, so it's been awhile. For those of you that don't know, I have been a fan of Bon Jovi since I was 7 & Slippery When Wet was released. So after telling that to my sister, I decided that I didn't know if they were doing a tour in the U.S. & that I should check it out. So that is exactly what I did. I do believe this was an act of God, because when I found the results of my google search of Bon Jovi tours, I noticed that the tickets for the next tour that was going to be stopping in Kansas City at the Sprint Center was set for the NEXT day! Now to me this is amazing, & I am totally hyped & decided that I wanted to go & see Bon Jovi, as I have thought about it for many years. The next task that I have to accomplish is finding someone to go with me. My uncle said that my aunt would not go because she is too old & since it was on a week night she would rather go to sleep, & all of the other people that I asked said that they didn't like Bon Jovi. HOW CAN YOU NOT LIKE BON JOVI? Their songs are great, they have been around for many years, & they are hot. There's no way around it. So the next day I didn't go online to get tickets because I didn't want to go by myself. So I'm at my aunt & uncle's the next day because my uncle & I were going to see the Kansas City Chiefs vs. the Denver Broncos, & my aunt asked if I got the tickets. Luckily we were able to get some tickets, but wouldn't you know...after I bought them they opened up another show the Thursday before. So fast forward like 6 months, & it's about that time to go & see Bon Jovi. I actually was given the opportunity to see them on Thursday night & had some nice seats with a good view, so it was great.
Anywho, I must say that I think I had the best time out of anyone there! I knew all but 1 song (which wasn't theirs) & I got to see them on the big screens! Tico & his drums, Dave & his keyboards, Richie, ah Richie...for a guy that's personal life seems to be a huge mess, he sure can change your opinion once he gets on the stage & starts playing that guitar & singing backup. I can't even talk about Jon Bon Jovi. Sigh. I was mesmerized when he came out from below the stage & I just sat & stared at him for the 2 1/2 hours that they played. I was anticipating them playing a lot of the songs from their new album Lost Highway, & I did anticipate the great older songs, but what I was really shocked to hear was In These Arms & Born to Be My Baby - I was not expecting that, especially since they are 2 of my favorites.
The other part about the night that I was excited about was the opening act. It was Daughtry! Thanks to my dear friend Andrea Silverthorne, I was introduced to Chris Daughtry right before he was booted off American Idol, but I did see his Wanted Dead or Alive performance before receiving the boot. I felt it was quite suiting that they 2 were on tour together. I was anxiously awaiting when they would be on stage together, which of course I assumed would be on Wanted Dead or Alive, but I was pleasantly surprised when he emerged from below on Blaze of Glory. That was a great performance. In my opinion, it was the best performance out of Daughtry for the whole night. I think that is because I didn't care much for his band. I loved his voice, & was glad that he sang his popular songs Home, Over You, It Feels Like Tonight, & It's Not Over, however when his band was playing it made it almost unbearable! I was not upset to take a bathroom break at all because it was getting annoying! I said if Bon Jovi comes out like that I'm out of here, but luckily they did not. Jon Bon Jovi did come out with some cheesy dance moves that were great to me though!

So overall, I really enjoyed the concert & was glad that I went & got some great pictures & really just had a ball. The next day my friend Andrea (who prompted me to write this blog since she is sick of looking at my banged up ankle, especially after eating a snack) called me, but luckily then she emailed me since I was at work & not home, but she was telling me how she had seen Chris Daughtry walking into Target as she was walking out. I think I need to mention that Andrea lives in Fargo, ND. I decided that she was wrong - it wasn't him, so I went online & checked out the Bon Jovi tour, & sure enough, they were playing in Fargo the next night. She didn't run up to him like a normal fan would though, so I'm very disappointed in her.

Well, I think this post has gone on long enough! Don't worry though, I have a lot of issues to talk about that have happened the past few weeks - dropping a phone in a cup of water (no it was not the toilet), taking a trip to Abilene, & quite possibly Alec's acting debut.

How to pass the time when you are bored & can't walk...

Ok, so for the past 3 days I have literally done nothing but sit on the couch with my foot elevated with ice on it! Luckily I had my work computer so I have been able to get a TON of work done, since there really wasn't much else that I can do. My ankle is still quite swollen, but today I have noticed that I can at least put some weight on it & get to where I needed to go, but I do try to avoid the stairs at all costs! Tomorrow I'm going to brave leaving the house for the whole day, so we will see how that goes. I think my motivation comes from the fact that I will end my day with yet another trip to the chiropractor for some electric shock therapy...I have to say it's not the most pleasant thing to do, but it does help to make me feel better...but I am still a little annoyed with the Dr. for telling my mom that I'm a cry baby even when I feel perfectly fine (she asked this as he was putting me in immense pain & I was shedding a few tears), but I'm working on it.

How to get hurt at a 4 year old's birthday & keep on trucking!

Ok y'all, so this weekend has been a crazy one! My mom, oldest sister Abby, her 3 kids Kayla, Ethan & Becca along with my younger sister Megan came into town to celebrate our cousin Alec's 4th birthday party at Pump It Up. They arrived last night & I met them at my aunt & uncle's house because Ethan wanted to spend the night with Alec. After hanging out for a bit we were off to the Macaroni Grill for a late dinner, & then it was back to my house so the kids could go to sleep. I was not able to fall asleep, so it was after 1:30 for me, & I was wide awake at 5 a.m. this morning, so I uploaded some pictures for my sister & caught up on some TV that I had been putting off. Then everyone else got up & we got ready & headed over to the party. I was just planning on taking pictures & holding babies, but that soon changed to taking the babies down this massive inflatable slide! That was fun! Then my wonderful aunt said that we just had to go through this obstacle course. I was thinking that I shouldn't go because my 21 year old cousin Lacey had disappeared in there for more than 20 minutes & that didn't sit well with me. However, my sisters & I decided to go for it. It started off by going through a small hole & sliding down. Then you climb up this short wall to get to a...oh I don't know how to explain it, but it reminded me of an obstacle in the final challenge of this old show on N Nickelodeon called Double Dare where they had to squeeze through this thing & slide down. So I did that, & we stopped to take a picture & then we crawl through this tunnel where we come up to this steep wall that you have to climb & then you go down a big slide. I was like oh heck no, but my aunt was telling me it was easy & if she could do it, I could do it. So Megan & I start climbing, & I'm doing really well & I look down at Megan & she says - we should be on American Gladiators! I reached the top, went to put my leg over to the slide, & my legs were not long enough & I went tumbling back down. Of course I had to land on my ankle & I just laid there in this intense pain that I have never before experienced! The worst part was...I had to get out of this inflatable death trap! It took me about 20 minutes to get back through the maze, & then I had the task of getting back over this wall that I had slid down, & luckily my uncle came in to help me get over the wall because I was stuck since I was not able to use my foot at all. So I limp around, get some water, feel like I'm about to pass out, & then my mother gets the great idea that we should go to the chiropractor & have him put the bones back in place - since I could walk & wiggle my toes it was pretty evident that I had not broken anything, just injured it. So I get into the car with my maniac mother as she drives me across town to the chiropractor. It was probably the worst car ride I have experienced to date. So we finally get there, & the chiropractor (God love him) prepared me for what was about to happen. It was not fun, & it hurt, but it relieved a lot of pressure & I felt good. So after convincing my mother that I was ok to drive (left ankle), & a pit stop to Sonic, we headed back to Pump It Up to pick up the family & go to lunch. After a leisurely lunch my family wanted to go shopping at Legend's. I was somewhat against it, but agreed to take them there. So I walked around & shopped, at a very slow pace, but we went everywhere we wanted to go. Then we met my aunt & uncle for dinner at Ruby Tuesday's, & as we were leaving my aunt told me my uncle told her she had to come clean with me....& I didn't know what she was talking about. Well, she precedes to tell me that although she had tried to go through the obstacle course that she had told me she did & how fun it was...she could not get up the wall & gave up & crawled out the opposite side so no one would see her! Boy was I not very happy! After dinner we came back to the house & my wonderful mom & sister went & got me some Icy Hot & some weird brace thing that they put over my swollen & bruised ankle. Then we watched The Game Plan & my niece really wanted to scrapbook, & as much as I was not up to it, when she started crying I had to give in. So then we worked on their notebooks, & currently it's 1:20 in the morning & they are all sleeping soundly upstairs as I lay on the couch hoping that I can fall asleep soon as I have my foot elevated & ice on it. Whew! What a story!

How to spend an evening with nothing to do...(ok ok, nothing you want to do)

The other night I found myself insanely bored & didn't really feel like doing anything. Then a thought popped into my head...my friend Steph had asked me to make some scrapbook pages for her daughter's scrapbook, & since my family is coming here this weekend I felt it would be better to send the pages back then to mail them (I don't trust them not getting bent). So this is what I worked on!

How to scrapbook with a man!

Ok, so last Saturday marked a first for me...my first experience scrapbooking with a man! I ran into my friend Clayton at the gas station on Friday morning, & he asked what I was doing over the weekend & decided that he was coming over. So Saturday morning I arose early to prepare for the day ahead of me. Clayton came over with Starbucks ( no coffee for me of course, but my favorite Carmel Apple Spice with no whipped cream), & we organized pictures & then headed to Archiver's, one of the scrapbook stores in town. After a quick trip to the Hobby Lobby we headed back to the house & started working on Clayton & Dave's 'Cruise' themed scrapbook. I gotta say, we got a lot accomplished (about 1/3 of the book), & it looks great! Clayton is definitely good at this...especially being a first timer. Here is a picture of Clayton scrapbooking, & a picture of how messy my living room can get!

How to....gain 10 lbs. in 20 days & not be upset!

My friend Marjie asked me how I was going to make this a 'how to' blog post, but I think by the title I might have just done it! Ok - so I'll try to keep this short & sweet! A few weeks ago Zena (a co-worker of mine) & I were headed out to lunch, & we were going to go to Schlotzky's, but I was in the mood for some Espinaca dip, so I suggested that we head over to Cactus Grill to have some. We were seated in the bar, & that is where I met the BEST waiter EVER!!!!!! He made sure that our glasses were always full, & he even offered up some sarcastic banter - which I'm a fan of. So a few days later Marjie & I went to have lunch & luckily we were seated in the SAME booth & had the same waiter! Marjie made the comment that the waiter paid more attention to me (which became quite obvious over the next few weeks), but I was quite happy with that. Especially when the restaurant was unable to make my burrito correctly. All I wanted was a tortilla shell with some rice in it & topped with Espinaca dip, but apparently that is a really hard request to fulfill. So, on this particular day, it took 3 times to get my burrito right. I had given up after time 2, but Orlondo was not going to allow that. So after this experience & the way that it was handled, I was sold. I don't typically eat out a lot, but if anyone asked me to lunch I happily obliged, but with the stipulation that we had to go to Cactus Grill. Seriously - it was like 17 times in 3 1/2 weeks! I will say that the last 3 days that I went in a row (Monday thru Wednesday) were due to the fact that Orlondo had informed us that his last day was Wednesday, so we had to utilize our time to have the best waiter serve us. Unfortunately he was only our waiter on Monday, but I will say that Monday was the best day! He brought my drink without me asking, & as I waited for Zena I requested to hold off on the Espinaca dip, & as soon as she sat down it was at the table without the blink of an eye! I could totally go on & on & on, but I won't ;) I'll just say that I have not had a burrito in 10 days, mainly due to the fact that I am burritoed out, but it was well worth it, & Cactus Grill will never be the same...I don't know that I can ever step foot in there again!

When Rachael was here, we made these notebooks with my newest scrapbooking purchase - the Big Bite by Cropodile!

How to....get a TV stand put together, & then rearrange the room!

Ok, so I said before that I got a TV stand. Only problem....I am not good at putting furniture together! Lucky for me Ben (Ann's boyfriend) came over last Sunday night & was nice enough to finish the job that Jordan had started. It took him awhile, & when he was finished he had a great idea! Ben's idea was to rearrange the living room so that the TV was on the opposite wall so when we are watching it it's about 10 feet away, rather than the maybe 5 it was currently. This started a lot of furniture moving & Ann getting her fingers stuck in the couch (I wish I had the video of Ben's face AFTER he told Ann not to put her fingers in the seam & she did), & a trip to K-Mart for a cable cord that was long enough (too bad that I didn't buy 2 because we realized when I got back that we had to get the cable from one side of the house to the other). I will say that I'm very happy that Ben made the suggestion because I enjoy watching TV so much more now that it's not so overwhelming.

How to get little kids on your side.....

Last weekend I got a pleasant surprise!!! I knew my friends Jordan & Rachael & their boys Jalen & Ian were coming to visit, but I was off by a weekend, so I was excited to find out they were coming a week early by my calendar! They arrived on Friday evening, & we just hung out & watched Why Did I Get Married? - a must see for anyone that reads this (but beware as it is kind of sad, but it's worth it in the end!)...then on Saturday we headed to Legends to the T-Rex Cafe where Jalen & Ian were introduced to Build-A-Dino (like Build-A-Bear but with dinosaurs). Then it was nap time for the boys & Rachael & I went shopping!!! I got a new camera, & a TV stand. After that it was back to the house to meet up with Ann & Ben & have some pizza & we watched the Memphis vs. Tennessee game in High Def. It was great fun! It was quite hilarious because Jalen told Ann that his mom was preggers, & she is going to have the baby when he's in the 3rd grade - which makes Rachael's justation about the same as an elephant! When it was time for the boys to go to bed, Jalen gave Ben a hug, then Ann a hug, & I was sitting next to Ann & Jalen looked at me, waved & said "Good night Libby!" Everyone got a HUGE kick out of that. I think my favorite part was on Sunday when we were praying & Jalen's prayer went like this...."Dear God, thank you for my family & my friends. Please watch over them. And Dear God, thank you for creating Libby." That is probably the sweetest thing I have ever heard in my life! However, at this time I do believe that Jalen is upset with me because he forgot his Transformers movie here, & I have procrastinated sending it back....at least I bought an envelope today!

How to utilize the time when you're bored...

A few weeks ago (ok, ok I know that I have truly slacked) I was bored, so I sat down & decided to make some frames to go in my cube at work that was seriously lacking - there were absolutely NO pictures in there, & people were starting to question because they are used to frames & pictures & magnets everywhere, but I wanted to update pictures & things, & it took me forever! Here are the frames that I made. One is a picture of Alec, Zach & myself around Christmas time, & then there is a picture of my family from Thanksgiving. Finally there is a Making Memories Flip Album that I liked that I put some random pictures in with my motto of Live, Laugh & Love.

http://www.slide.com/r/AeYX601d5j-Le7BDvIAb64td9CroTaLP?previous_view=mscd_embedded_url&view=original

Picture Frame

This type of frame is a favorite of mine to make! You can totally make it horizontally or vertically, & there are so many different ways that you can decorate it. One of the new tools I have been using when it comes to making these frames is the Disposable Foam Brush Kit that I think is one of my favorite tools to date. It makes painting or inking a breeze. The other tool that I like to use for these frames is the Cricut. You can use the Cricut for many different projects as it's a personal cutter, but if want to personalize the frame, this is a great way to do it.

The best present for a scrapbooker....

Ok, so for Christmas my Aunt Mary got me a caricature of me pushing Zach in his stroller & Alec running ahead of us towards the park. I was thoroughly impressed because the picture actually looks like us (with the exception of me being skinny), but she took it a step farther...she made it into scrapbooking paper!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Below are some pictures of her fine work.

Pretty Box - ok so I'm not original

Ok, so while at a local scrapbook store I found these boxes. I became intrigued with them because they were the perfect size to hold a set of note cards - which has been another new obsession of mine - which I will be posting next - so I bought a few & tried to figure out how to make them unique for my friends. The one I have posted is actually a box that I made for myself.

So I started with the blank box & cut out the paper for each of the sides & the drawers. Then you put alcohol based ink on all the sides & the drawers. Then I put the paper through my handy dandy Xyron Sticker Maker. After that you apply the paper to the box. Then you embellish with whatever your heart desires. I used ribbon & a flower & then made a tag with my Making Memories Tag Maker & applied that with some 3-D pop dots. Finally I added an 'l' & a brad to finish out the project.