Life, Organization, Scrapbooking and Valentine’s Day

(Photo heavy post ahead) 2011 is already zipping on by.  We have been keeping busy with long work days, home organization projects and trying to fit in some creative/hobby time (usually late at night after the boys go to sleep.

Today’s challenge at ScrapTiffany was to use metal or wire. I ended up making 3 layouts using this challenge. This is the one I submitted to Tiffany for the design team layouts.

This layout was rolling around my brain since a few days after my mom passed away in December. The Orianthi song Courage came on the radio and I knew this was something I needed to make….

For this one I used some old metal flowers mixed with new.

and this one I embossed a thin sheet of metal with the cuttlebug for the heart in the title and the photo corner. Pictures were from our photo shoot with Maggie Holmes.

We have been on a clean out, get rid of and organize mission lately.  Two weekends ago we attacked the pantry and the linen closet.

This is what the pantry looked like when we started.

And now, although I am not happy with a few things, so I have ordered some more of the larger baskets and will move some of the smaller ones to the laundry room cabinets. But it is nice to have a place for everything,.

This is the start of the new backsplash, behind the stove. I have one more piece on backorder that will fit below the shelf area down to the counter top. But this is making me very happy.

Superbowl Sunday was spent hanging around the house. Or climbing if you are Jackson…

Making some yummy treats…

Nicholas liked watching half time and the commercials more than the football game (just like his mommy)….

I was home early from a doctor’s appointment on Tuesday. Jackson was playing and then suddenly it was quiet….

Nicholas now knows how to play Daddy’s train game on the computer….

This past Saturday, Mike’s mom came to watch the boys so Mike and I could attack this disaster.  Our house has a 2 car and 1 car garage set up. The 1 car garage has become a dumping ground for everything….

We took out everything opened all the bins and boxes. Moved all the shelves, swept, and wiped down everything.  Then we added new shelving and a file cabinet. And we actually have a garage again.

In January I also did the larger garage. It wasn’t as crammed with stuff. This side just needed a better set up and a good clean out.  I guess I didn’t take a before shot, but here is how it looks now….

my favorite area is this one. We do most of our grocery shopping at Costco, saving money is great, but storing the bulk stuff is a pain. Now it is all in one place, convenient to grab when we need it and easy to unload after the Costco trip each week.

Nicholas in daddy’s shoes (showing off the closet that is coming up on the list of things to clean out).

Mike has been busy working on his radio project.

We celebrated Valentine’s with a few goodies for the kiddos.

my Valentine’s present will be shipping from Verizon soon….

After the kiddos went to bed, my Valentine and I spent the rest of the evening enjoying

Dinner….Greek Salad

Wild Mushroom Lasagna and Meatballs….

and a movie…

Have a great week!

School Time

Today our littlest man started pre-school….

We debated if he was too young. If it would be a good thing for him.

He isn’t talking much yet,  and probably needs a bit more of a push and some social interaction.

We thought pre-school at 2 might be better than waiting until 3.  So today, we let go and watched our baby become a toddler….

He had a good first day and will go twice a week for now.

Nicholas gets his daddy to himself 2 mornings a week, too. Although I think he was sad not to be able to stay today when we dropped off Jackson. I think he missed his “may-me”.

Today was exactly one year ago that Nicholas started pre-school at 3.

And this afternoon we realized…they wore the same sweatshirt to their first day of school….

…maybe it’s happenstance…

…..I see it as good luck….

           …don’t you think?

This kid….

Planned to post this Sunday, but we were too busy spending time with this kid….

This kid…

…is a big lovebug

…is obsessed with trains

…can do a US map puzzle

…is enthusiastic about learning

…is curious and inquisitive

…talks about his extended family all the time

….has a mind like a steel trap

…loves to play with his Daddy

…is compassionate and kind

…is a protective big brother

…is sweet to his doggies

…loves to cuddle with his Mama

…is 4!

At his request he had a Thomas party on Saturday…

Nana and Grandpa C and Grandpa R were in attendance for his party…

Dinner was one of his favorites, hot dogs and chips….

presents were opened (that is the US puzzle that he figured out how to do in no time)…

cake was had (no frosting, please, mom)….

Sunday we headed up to North Phoenix to the Adobe Western Railroad where we road the train a couple of times….

Nicholas and Mike spent lots of time inside watching the small trains

and more time outside watching the train that looked like the one we had under the Christmas tree…

I hung out with this guy while he wore himself out running all over the place

and just a little something for Grandpa and Grandma J….

All in all a great birthday weekend.

Peace–It’s Just One Little Word

On December 1st I wrote this from a journaling prompt to “encapsulate the year 2010 in one word. Now, imagine it’s one year from today, what would you like the word to be that captures 2011 for you?”

December 1 ~ One Word.

2010 in one word…Chaos. It has felt like we are chasing our tails all year. Our business was so consuming so we stopped, but the rest of the year has been a whirlwind. Some self imposed, some imposed on us. As we are winding up the year, work for me has been more crazy than normal with a structure reorganization. And November brought us heart break in the sudden bad turn in my mom’s health. Now that we are in December, I am spending my evenings in the hospital, my days at work, the few minutes I have in the morning with my boys and squeezing in Christmas shopping on my lunch hour.

As I look to 2011 I hope for Peace. Time to enjoy our life, time to enjoy our boys, and some freedom from everyday worries. No life is perfect, but I pray we have some peace in our days.

Little did I know when I wrote those words, that we would be faced with more before the year would end. Ten days after I wrote this, my mom left us. We dealt with the holidays grieving our huge loss, one we didn’t expect to happen so quickly.

I have never chosen a word of the year before, it is a “popular” thing for us scrapbookers to do. But this year it seemed so appropriate. I felt a need for calm, quiet, reflection, hope, and serenity.

Peace – (noun) – 1. a state of tranquility or quiet. 2. harmony in personal relationships

Synonyms – calm, quiet, stillness, silence, tranquility, harmony, serenity, agreement, friendship, love, order, unity, relaxation, rest, repose

Quotes that resonated with me  -

“Peace is not something you wish for; It's something you make, Something you do, Something you are, And something you give away.” ~ Robert Fulghum

“When you find peace within yourself, you become the kind of person who can live at peace with others.”  ~ Peace Pilgrim

“Peace is not the absence of conflict, but the ability to cope with it”

Peace comes from within. Do not seek it without.”  ~ Hindu Prince Gautama Siddharta

“Each one has to find his peace from within. And peace to be real must be unaffected by outside circumstances.” ~ Mahatma Gandhi

“Peace is its own reward.” ~ Mahatma Gandhi

“Nothing can bring you peace but yourself.” ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

“When we are unable to find tranquility within ourselves, it is useless to seek it elsewhere” ~ François de la Rochefoucauld

“Peace is the deliberate adjustment of my life to the will of God.”

“All we are saying is give peace a chance.” ~ John Lennon

“Peace is a daily, a weekly, a monthly process, gradually changing opinions, slowly eroding old barriers, quietly building new structures.” ~ John Fitzgerald Kennedy

To help me remain committed to my word for 2011 I have signed up for Ali Edwards One Little Word class at Big Picture Classes. Each month we will receive an assignment to help us remember what we have committed to, I know this will be important for me this year.

Too Soon to Say Goodbye Mom

Linda Rettberg, 10/16/1946 - 12/11/2010

One week ago yesterday I lost one of my best friends, my confidante, my hero, The person who gave me drive to want better. The woman who taught me to speak up for myself. This beautiful, loving, generous woman who is my Mom.

Saying goodbye to my Mother is something I don’t think I have even begun to absorb. One thing that struck me these past few weeks as I spoke with family members and Mom’s friends was something I have always known about her. They all said to me that Mom was the strongest woman that they knew, she inspired them with her courage and happiness. Mom was a fighter, she was strong and she was a hero to me.

For twelve years we watched her battle cancer with strength, resolve and dignity. Even when she was scared, she was strong for her family and reassured us she would fight it and win.  All during this time she continued to work and live her life, although she may have slowed down more recently, she still kept busy with the life she loved. She loved decorating and taking care of her home, spending time with her husband Dion and cuddling with her three little dogs: Brandi, Megan and Missy.

She still worked through almost 7 years of non-stop chemotherapy treatment, only stopping work after starting treatments for the cancer that had spread to her bone marrow. A treatment that would leave her so tired, she would not be able to go to work. That was just about 5 weeks before she left us.

Shortly after starting the bone marrow chemotherapy, she was very sick. She was sent of an MRI and was told the cancer had spread to her brain. She started chemotherapy within days. After 3 treatments she was so weak she couldn't eat or drink. She went to the hospital for the first time since having her mastectomy over 12 years ago.

She never regained her strength and after a week my Mom chose to go into hospice care. We hoped she would come home under this care and we would have a few more months. But there was another plan. Just 4 days after arriving at the hospice facility, she passed peacefully with Dion and me at her side.

I have so many memories of my Mom that I will be able to hold in my heart. We looked forward to Sunday afternoons when she would come by to visit us. She always brought cookies and treats for Nicholas and Jackson.  Nicholas calls her Nana Cookie. Today was Sunday and earlier I thought I wonder if Mom is coming over today, and realized she wouldn't be.

She loved being a Nana and after we had Nicholas and Jackson she was happy to get to see them often.  My brothers children live out of state and she always wished she could see them more than once or twice a year. It will be my mission to make sure my boys know their Nana, although she is no longer here with us, she loved and adored all of her grandsons. And I want them to know that. Nicholas was very attached to her and I still haven't found the words to explain to him that she is not with us here anymore, but will always be looking out for us. I want to cry everytime he asks if Nana feels better or asks Where's Nana?

I loved to make Thanksgiving dinner with my mom each year. Most years all the dishes were  made from scratch. I ran "Thanksgiving Boot Camp" and my Mom and I worked along side each other preparing several things we loved. My stuffing may never be the same, as she was a key ingredient, she would taste test it until it was seasoned perfectly. Thanksgiving was one of her favorite holidays.

This year Mom had just started radiation therapy for the brain cancer, so it took all her energy to just come for a couple of hours. And sadly it turned out to be the last actual meal she really ate in her last 2 weeks with us.

When we were kids Mom would take us on the weekends to get fried chicken or a hot dog for a treat out. Simple things, that made us happy.When we were growing up Mom would sacrifice for herself to make sure we didn't go without anything. At times it must have been hard when she was on her own, but looking back, she made it look easy. She always let us know that my brother and I were very important to her.

When it was just Mom and me living at her townhouse in Aliso Viejo, we would take walks after work and then chat some more over a glass of wine. Saturdays, of course, were spent cleaning and she taught me everything I could ever want to know about that.

We talked on the phone often about anything and everything. I will miss being able to just pick up the phone and know she will be there. When I had good news or was upset she was who I wanted to talk to. I looked forward to just chatting with her about anything and everything. Yesterday I thought, I should call Mom, and realized I no longer could.

Today, my Mom's husband, Dion came by and brought me a mini album I had made for my Mom in 2004 for Mother's Day. As I looked at it through tears the words I wrote then were very much the same I would write today.

These were two of my favorite pages from the album:

What I Love About You

There are so many things I love about you. I love that you are my friend. I love that you like to have fun and aren't afraid to be silly. I love that you take good care of yourself. I love your smile. I love your laugh. I love that you love your kids so much. I love that you always have an opinion. I love that you have so much energy. I love that you are my little mom. I love that your house looks like it belongs in a magazine. I love that we cook Thanksgiving dinner together each year and have fun doing it. But most of all I love you.

What You Taught Me

• To have fun
• Everything happens for a reason
• To love your family
• To treat others with respect
• To take care of myself
• How to clean anything
• To be myself
• To be silly sometimes
• To go after my dreams
• How to shop

Quote:

All that I am or hope to be, I owe to my Mother.

The book closed with the lyrics to Celine Dion's song, "Because You Loved Me". I know I am a better person, because my Mother loved me.

We laid Mom to rest on Friday in a beautiful service that celebrated who she was. I was thankful for her friends that came and talked to us about their memories of Mom.

Now I must figure out how to pick up the pieces and go on.

I love you mama. You will always be in my heart.

ScrapTiffany's Thrifty Thursday

It's Thrifty Thursday today on the ScrapTiffany blog and it was my turn to post. I wrote about how I got thrifty with my Thickers. Here's a peek....

Head on over to ScrapTiffany to see the rest.

Christmas, Weekend Round Up and a Turkey

I've been MIA lately, with a lot going on. Last week we received some upsetting family news, and the end of the week was spent processing it.

Work has been crazy lately, we are consolidating our office with our Denver office and everything is moving to our office here in Phoenix. So work life has been busy in interviewing, hiring and planning for this transition. Oh, and it is year end, and I am an accountant.

I have been working a lot of hours lately, and seeing my family less than I would like. But, I know I am lucky that I will still have my job after this transition.

And because of my busy work schedule, at home it is beginning to look....

a lot like.....Christmas.....

(p.s. the picture for the frame is being printed today to go with the Christmas theme)

Yes, we put up our tree and decorations the weekend before Thanksgiving. I have to work the Friday after Turkey Day and we host the meal every year. So several years ago we stopped trying to do it all after Thanksgiving and moved the inside decorating to a week before. I have a few finishing touches to add after a trip to the store, so I will share some more photos soon.

It was sad putting this away.

Turkey does really get the short stick. (Although the Halloween stuff was gone a few

weeks ago).

Friday night this crazy boy....

...crawled out of his bed....twice. He hasn't tried it again. But we did buy a toddler bed over the weekend just in case. Unfortunately the crib tent doesn't work on his style of crib.

Stinker!

Mike put all the trees up last week (yes, all means 3, 5 if you count the small ones in the boys rooms).  On Saturday he took the boys out during the day so I could do all the rest of the decorations. Then Saturday night we all enjoyed the tradition Mike and I have had for years. Munchies and snacks while enjoying our now decorated house.

Sunday we just hung out and rested.  I have picked up the cold that the rest of the family is getting over. So we just laid low...

As we head into the home stretch for my two favorite holidays of the year, our challenge at ScrapTiffany this week was Food/Recipes. So on honor of the big bird I'll be cooking later this week, I featured Turkey My Way.   I have perfected my bird over the past 15 years that I have been the holiday host. And I am pretty proud of it.

I'll give you two of my secrets, a fresh organic turkey and Reynolds Oven Bags. The rest is my secret, ;)

Head over to ScrapTiffany to see what the other designers did.

Just a peek at one of the pictures from our recent photo shoot with Maggie Holmes. We are lucky that she lives nearby. We met Maggie a few weeks ago and late last week picked up our photos.

I'll share some more tomorrow.  Have a great Monday.

2 Years Ago Today....

This adorable little guy came bursting into our lives....

and today this sweet hearted, lovable, rambunctious little guy is two....

Happy Birthday my Little J.  I love you!

21 Years Ago Today....

We went on our first date...

So today is our "unofficial" anniversary. I couldn't have it any better.

Ask and you shall receive....I guess

I know I have been complaining A LOT about the heat this year in lovely Arizona, aka 'the oven". We have been hoping for fall, but really?

"Fall"-ing trees????  They said we had winds up to 70 mph in some parts of Chandler. Must have been in our front yard. This is the 4th or 5th tree  we have lost in our front yard in this spot. The first 2 died and the last ones were knocked over in storms. We have lived in our house 5 years, and between a severe frost in 2007 that killed a few other trees and the winds, our tree landscaping looks like we have lived here 5 minutes. I want my trees to grow up.

I went on a walk this morning and the only other trees that were lost were in the common areas, no other homes that I saw. Just loving that we get to pay someone to remove the tree and plant another one.

On the upside we may finally be heading towards fall. It should be in the 80's to low 90's for the rest of the week. Hasta la vista 100 degree temps!

Mike took the boys to Snip It's for hair cuts yesterday. They both look like little marines with their short do's.

Here's a card I made for my friend that is coming back to work today after a very long and bad illness. It's a scary thing to think you are going about your normal life your still relatively young, overall healthy and then wham, life stops you in your tracks. I am praying she is back feeling like her normal self soon.

I made this with the new Pink Paislee/House of Three Parisian Anthology paper and trim. I picked up the trims at my LSS last week. I was paying for my other purchases and looked over and saw them peeking out of a box of new stuff that hadn't been put out yet. I asked if I could buy them even though they weren't up for sale. I misted the paper with Tattered Angels. It didn't show up in the picture too well, but it the glossy part of the paper is still creamy off white.

The stamp was found in the dollar bin at Michael's a month or so ago. They had a few "vintage-y" style stamps (birdcage, old fashioned key and old typewriter) that I got as well.  Oh and the trim....swoon.

Have a great Wednesday!

Pumpkin, Pumpkin, Pumpkin

A few weeks ago I was already craving some pumpkin recipes. And apparently the stores had not realized this. We could not get canned pumpkin at any of our grocery stores. Apparently there had been large crops of pumpkins lost in a freeze and there was a shortage last year. I must have bought all I needed last year before this became an issue. The crops were okay this year, but the pumpkin hadn't started hitting the store shelves. If you love making pumpkin infused foods and you are desperate for some glimpse of fall when you live in the desert, you must take matters into your own hands.

I think you can buy anything at Amazon.com.  A few weeks ago I ordered a case of this....

Of course it was back-ordered a couple of weeks, but I wasn't taking any chances. On my doorstep last week arrived one heavy case of pumpkin. With free shipping it was just over $2 a can. But after reading about people selling it on E-Bay for $10-$15+ a can, I didn't worry about it. And it was the organic brand which is a bit more anyway. And if this shortage didn't get resolved soon, I was still having pumpkin pie at Thanksgiving.

Of course, you can now get pumpkin at the grocery store.  But, I wasn't taking any chances with my fall time favorite.

So to celebrate the arrival of pumpkin in our house we made pasta with pumpkin sauce with chicken apple sausage. Although this time we didn't make the sauce. World Market has a pre-made pumpkin sauce that I have to admit was about as good as the one we make from scratch.

On Sunday I made  Pumpkin Swirl Brownies, found on MarthaStewart.com. I increased the size of the batch so I could take some into work. I think the organic pumpkin is a bit more watery so my brownies came out a bit cakey. They are still yummy, just not fudge-y like a brownie.

We had a nice rainstorm yesterday that cooled us off in the evening. Let's see if it lasts. The weather says high 80's with some more rain for the next few days. I would like it a bit cooler, but after 100+ degree days all September, I guess we will take what we can get.

Happy Tuesday!