Happy Memorial Day Weekend!

I hope all have a fabulous Memorial Day weekend! I thought I'd share pictures of the military guys in my life! The picture below is of me (I'm a 13 year vet of the Air Force too just chose not to wear my uniform), my 4 brothers and my Dad. The 2 brothers in white hats are retired Navy, the guy in blue is a recruiter in NC and the one in the sailor uniform is actually stationed in Iraq right now! I also included a picture of my Dad when he was younger and in the Coast Guard! The next picture is of my DH (or hunka hunka burnin love!) and of course, my son who is in the Navy and stationed in Guam! I have pictures of my maternal Grandfather who was a doctor in the Army Air Core and was stationed in India! Military seems to run in our blood I guess! LOL!










Enjoy!

Long Time No Blogging - lots to blog about too!

Wow, I can't believe how long it's been since I blogged! I have had so much going on it's not funny! This is a busy time of year at school so that's got a lot of my time but there's more! We found out, 100% for sure, that we're moving! Those details are keeping me going too! We're going to be stationed at Wright Patterson AFB in Ohio. They are sending my DH back to get his master's degree! It's a huge compliment to him as they only selected 6 people Air Force wide! I'm so proud of him I could bust! So that's the big news, let me back up and fill you in all the other little details! The last week of April we had company for 3 days, going out to eat and other activities that didn't allow for computer time! Then we had our family reunion in Charlottesville Va and had some family members come back and spend the next week with us too! This was my sister-in-law who is a great photographer and works free lance for a magazine like BHG in China. She left to go home Saturday afternoon but I took off for Dayton Ohio early Saturday morning and just got home late last night! I went house hunting up there! What fun! I did squeeze in a little time for Michael's since I had a 50% off coupon that I couldn't let go to waste - right?! I got lucky and found some great houses so now the hard part! I have to pick one! Then the harder part - choosing the details! Too many options that would all be awesome but you can only have so many bathroom faucets and countertops and cabinets! LOL! I've also started my hard training for the Marathon coming up in September! Well, we're in "phase 1 -no sugar"! That's not an easy task for a person with a big sugar tooth! LOL! I just have to work on my endurance but the souvenier I brought myself home was a nice snotty nose cold! Energy? What energy! LOL! I feel it all being sucked right out of my body! LOL! I saw today in the school job opportunities that my job was posted too! Lots of phone calls coming in about it! I hope they can start soon! I have "stuff" I need to do! LOL! Gotta get ready for the purge/garage sale coming up fast! I'm sort of chatty today but I guess that's because I'm so over due for a post! Enjoy my family reunion picture I'm sharing!

Hale Et Al Family reunion! There was more then just the "Hale's" there! That's the valley of the Blue Ridge Mountains behind us while we were at Monticello.

Cherry Blossoms in D.C.

I was thinking yesterday, no pain involved here either! Here I am in D.C., it's Cherry Blossom Festival time and we have yet to go! We're hoping my brother can come up the last weekend of it and we'll see it for, what may be, our last time! When we went last time it was gorgeous! Sunny, a little cool but nothing beat the flowers! So here are a few pictures from a couple of years ago

My DH took this great picture and I just love it! We have it as our screen saver too!



Here's a close up!




The festival is set up all over with lots of events and, is it ever PACKED! This is the only shot of the lake/pond we could get! Sorry but we're in it (the "Polo pals"! LOL!) and blocking it but you can see some of it - just enough to tease! Doesn't it make you feel warm?!



I added this shot of the White House too. It's another picture in our screensaver too. It's beautiful and both my DH and daughter claim to have taken it! LOL! They had their own cameras and were taking pictures of everything! There is actually a fence around the WH but you just have to stick your hands and camera through to get a shot "bar free"! LOL! It was also taken a little later in the year as you can probably tell by the flowers!

Still Scrappin'

I'm still scrappin'! It was another crazeee day at work! Still plugging away putting student information in, working on report card stuff, catching up on audits, meeting myself coming as I'm going.....! LOL! You know, normal day to day routine type stuff! LOL! Anyway, to relax and feel better about having some "self accomplishment" today I finished up 2 pages and started another!

Here they are;

This one is from another of Amy's "ricettas". I like how they're different and incorporate more then the standard squares and rectangles that I seem to be stuck on! Anyway, my son Michael went through a dye stage and in this picture he wanted to see if blondes really did have more fun! I tried it once too and no, they don't! LOL!



Here's another one of Michael. I used a chipboard precolored word for the word "Smile" that I picked up at Michael's for $2! Great deal as I used the words again in another LO too! I also used the 2 star punches from Stampin Up to get the stars. If you punch the small one, then center the larger one over it you get a perfect cutout from the stars for a different look! This picture is of him playing with those old cheap cups you used to be able to get at gas stations. He was the apple of my Dad's eye when he lived with them while I was stationed in Korea. Best buds - that's my Dad's foot in the foreground! LOL! You wanted to know that right?!



Tiny ballerina - or not! LOL! Here's Breanna at age 4 at her dance class and another picture of her showing her silly side about it! Needless to say she didn't go any more after that set of classes ran out! Here's an idea for you to try sometime, at Target, in their dollar spot they have rhinestone tatoos once in a while. I used one of those, in a heart shape to surround her face and add another element to the space! I really like it! Oh and more of my little dots too! LOL! I really like those things!

Happy Easter!

Sorry it's been a while since I've posted! I am on Spring Break here and decided to go see my Dad for a while! It was a very nice visit too! I have lots of pictures of things I did get finished to post too but will do that later after our Easter dinner at my friend Vanessa's house!

I hope you are having a great Easter or, that you had a great Easter! Here are a few pictures of our Easter here in D.C.! Don't let the gorgeous sunshine fool you though....it was cold!!!

Here's my handsome honey and I after church! He's not mad he just claims the sun was in his eyes! LOL! Notice it's not in mine! LOL!



Here's my youngest daughter and me - notice no sun there either! LOL! I think I should make him take those pictures over again don't you?!



Okay now here's the funny bunny's idea of Easter gifts for me! LOL! I can't stop laughing when I think of it! I have a tendency to take extra Splenda when I'm at Starbucks! I might need it! Well, apparently the Easter Bunny thinks I shouldn't be so........ look at what he got me! LOL! Oh that was too funny! If you look at the red tin in the back, Breanna made me a gift! She made me the magnets with letters that spell out "LUTM", translated - Love You The Most! What a sweetie!!

Desert Friendly Photo Album

I was E-chatting with my brother and he was telling me how sand gets into everything over in the desert! He's been in Iraq for 3 months now and I thought maybe he could use a little cheering up! I took an Altoid tin, this was before my goof up order on Papertrey - totally my fault for being a little too quick on the "oh what the hell button" on my mouse! I wanted a different tin but those worked out to my advantage anywhooo, I primed this one too so it wouldn't be shiny for him to have out there too! I made it into a photo album of pictures of our family! I thought this will either cheer him up or maybe, make him happy he's so far away from such a goofy bunch of people! Well, everyone but me of course! LOL! I finished it tonight so take a look at it and tell me what you think! I don't think sand will get into this one!

Here's the outside! I used Modge Podge to adhere it to the tin



I put a picture of his wife and kids on the inside and the rest of the pictures are on an accordian folded piece of cardstock (close to cocoa from SU!) The "Our Family" stamp is an old one I got a couple of years ago from 7Gypsies.



First side of photo album;



Second side of photo album;



My only regret on this is that I didn't have a picture of my oldest brother and his kids in there too! He wasn't able to make it for Thanksgiving this year. I will have to add to it later when I get a good one of him!

Thanks for looking!

Kitchen Aid Love Affair

Well, if you know me you know my daughter Breanna! If you know Breanna, you know she loves to bake! For the past few years this little girl has begged, yes begged and even tried bribery, to get a Kitchen Aide! Well one "Black Friday" shopping trip later I caved and made a purchase of one that was less then the Ipod she got for her birthday 6 months ago! I only paid $105 for this new object of her affection! I love to bake but don't eat all those sweets anymore and, she does so I have pretty much handed down my wooden spoon with the understanding I may borrow it back once in a while! LOL! Here are some pictures of her with her newest bestest friend!

Can't you almost hear her saying "Hey Mom I figured out what this tool is for....Aaarrggh"!



She can just crack herself up sometimes! (I'm probably dead meat for actually putting this one on here when she finds out!)



She really does love her new baby! I should post a picture of the look of disbelief on her face when she opened the box telling her it was waiting for her at home (we were in Wisconsin for Christmas!)




Aaahh the fruits, I mean the chocolate chip cookies of her labor! She made these for a friend of mine at work! She told Breanna she had to make her something with her new KA the last time they talked on the phone so, Breanna using any excuse she can to bake, came through on her promise! I see only 7 cookies here.....where are the other 2 dozen?! If the chocolate under the tape she put on with a note for "Ms Tane" was any indication, that means my child is (hopefully) sharing the rest with her friends and didn't have any for breakfast! LOL!

Homecoming

Breanna had her homecoming dance last weekend. She looked SO pretty! I let her go with a couple of her friends from school and, from what I hear, they had a great time! We had a great time too as we went to eat at a favorite restuarant "Macaroni Grill" - amazingly enough we walked right in with no waiting! Then while the kids were at the dance we parents went out for a drink (I had coffee!) at Chili's! Enjoy the pictures of the kids!

Destiny

Would you look at those pictures! Funny how we know out destiny and don't even realize it! I found the picture of my son Michael yesterday while cleaning my craft room! It was just a "wow" reaction when I saw it! Michael is 14 months in the baby picture and 19 in the other one! Enjoy! Michelle