So Many Things To See and Do

What a weekend! I was here there and a little bit of everywhere. I did go to Ashburn Family Scrapbooking to pick up my prints of a scanned lo and ended up staying there to finish a project. Luckily there was a chair for me because that will be the last time I get to scrap there. Tomorrow is their last day in business. I did NOT stay up until the wee hours when I got home so Saturday was not another draggin' day. I attacked the laundry that was smothering me and got substantially all of it done. Who would have thought I'd measure success by how "done" I get the laundry - how times have changed!

Kate had dance class and she danced! I am so thrilled - not much else to say there except she got a little more brave and got out there and tried. Next week I'll take the camera that shoots video and get her in action so she can watch at home, practice, and build her confidence a bit.

Today I woke up with the headache that I went to sleep with last night. After breakfast I napped - talk about ambitions! I did manage to shower and get to Joya's CAbi show and bought things even though I don't "need" anything. The Spring stuff is great. I'm not buying anything similar to pieces I already have but if I can wear it for both work and casual occasions it's a keeper. I could still add more from the Spring line but I'm not going looking for opportunities to buy more, that's for sure.

I have so much on my mind with the double booking of a baby shower and a birthday party for one of Kate's friends. I'm going to end up having to buy the gift for the shower tomorrow, wrap it to mail on Tuesday, and send my regrets that I can't be there because I can't miss the birthday/tea party with Kate. She would not be happy without me and I can't ask Jeff to do it. He has the Corvette in a car show on Saturday anyhow.

The invites have been ordered and the date booked for Kate's birthday party at Great Country Farms. Should be exciting - it's a farm/petting zoo/ and they also have this "better than a moonbounce" jumping thing for the kids. We've been talking about Kate's "farm party" since before Christmas.

Well the dog is outside barking to come in and my ScrapLair is calling me to come make some cards or finish a lo. That's right, suddenly I make cards. I've made all of 1 but that counts. I even sent the card to the person I made it for and he really thought it was cool. So off I go to silence the barking beast and do something creative with myself.

Tags: laundry birthday party crafts

Hating Me

So immature yet so on the money when dealing with someone of that mentality.  This is why I wish I'd starting reading "A New Earth" several months ago...to help me deal with the disingenuousness I've come up against.  I prefer not to dwell on that aspect but on the fact that once the light shone on the situation and I had clarity I did what I needed to do and received the help that I could rely on to get to a healthier place.  I'm not perfect so I still find this bumper sticker amusing.  But it's also a reminder that I'm better than this childishness.  The behavior of others toward me and their opinions don't define.  Even my own inability to withstand it over the long term does not define me. 

I feel so drained this week

I'm just tired tired tired this week. That's it - too tired to write any more and must go pick up the kids. Jackson qualifies to test for his green belt so that is the news we've been waiting for. Master Lee is leaving TD and that is news we could have done without...

Jeff is coming home tonight YAY

Resurrection Day - I'm Feeling Saved

 

To everyone celebrating Easter today hope it is a terrific and blessed day for you! If you're not celebrating hope it's a terrific and blessed day as well! 

We are all up.  The kids found all of the eggs I filled and hid around the house last night.  They've inspected their Easter baskets which had minimal candy this year...sampled a few jelly beans, and now everyone's waiting for the Blintz Brunch Bake to come out of the oven (http://www.kraftfoods.com/kf/recipes/recipedetail.htm?recipe_id=54201)

This is so yummy...I've been making it for Easter the past few years.

Next I'm baking an angel food cake to fill with a pudding & fruit mixture for our dessert - then the ham will go in.(into the oven, not into the cake, LOL)

Mass at either 12:15 or 2:00 then hopefully a little scrapping to relax.  Can't believe it's back to work tomorrow so trying not to think about it.  I should be excited because this week marks the beginning of the next chapter at work (change = opportunity for me) and we got some great news last night - in two weeks one of our favorite teachers from the kids' daycare is starting as our nanny for the summer and possibly beyond.  This should make for a really fun summer for the babes as well as make life a little easier on us because we won't have the picking up and dropping off before and after work - which is time consuming and a bit of a pain at times and WE LOVE HER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

so YAY for us!

p.s.  give me some love by going clicking

http://www.scrapbookerstats.com/index.php?page=in&id=20

 

Holy Saturday

Today we're dying eggs and I'm making potato salad and putting the kids' baskets together.  Alex was here for Easter last year so is not here for this weekend - which is kind of a bummer - the three of them like to dye the eggs together and it's just not the same giving her a basket after the fact.  This evening I'm going scrapbooking with a friend.  Tomorrow will be Mass and hopefully we'll all go like we did on Christmas then home to hang out and have a nice Easter dinner - basic - ham, scalloped potatoes, asparagus with an angel food cake filled with pudding/whippedcream/crushed pineapple and strawberries on top for dessert.  Back to work on Monday. 

Rain is in the forecast for today but the sun is out right now.  My daffodils and some tulips have been blooming and the front and side beds were just mulched so it's a good feeling to look outside right now. 

Here are a couple of pics I took of what's going on out front...  

 

 

CJ Clarke

 

...and so every day I get into my car to drive to work thinking to myself "I'd rather be scrapbooking"

 

Follow this link to join Scrapbook.com and check out my gallery!

http://www.scrapbook.com/forums/index.php?referral/215115/

 

 

Tags: Spring flowers Easter Bunnies

This is so exciting

I really should be sleeping HOWEVER this is the quiet time that I enjoy so gonna go get a cookie and when I finish this I'm going to bed!  The exciting things are that I still have 3 days of vacation left this week!  I am able to stop going into DC to work starting next week and if I can avoid going next week so much the better!  I'm getting a new work computer on Monday, YAY!  We're talking to someone tomorrow about being our nanny for the summer so the kids get a break from all day at camp/daycare/whatever you want to call it it's not home!  Celebratin' with that cookie now!

My Soul Magnifies the Lord

And Mary said

My soul doth magnify the Lord,

And my spirit hath rejoiced

In God my Saviour.

For the that is mighty

Hath done to me great things;

And holy is His name.

Luke 1:46-47, 49

 

Maybe ecstatic is pushing it a bit but there was no option for elated to describe how I’m feeling.  I don’t typically get all religious on my blog but had to stop and testify to the fact that just as God carried me through a previous bad time on the job He’s led me to the right people to have the right conversations so that I can be in a better spot once again.  “My work here is done” is about right to sum up my current gig and I have something in the works but in the interim there appears to be some project work to keep me busy (and out of trouble) and so I can transition next week rather than playing the waiting game to see if the new position pans out or not. 

I am so eternally grateful that God has not only shown me that the only way to go is to rely on Him completely but has delivered the right thing yet again.  There’s no need to fear or panic….so now I’m off to make dinner then try out a kick-boxing class. 

And in my head I’m singing Boston’s

 Don't Look Back

(Scholz)
Don't look back
A new day is breakin'
It's been too long since I felt this way
I don't mind where I get taken
The road is callin'
Today is the day

I can see
It took so long to realize
I'm much too strong
Not to compromise
Now I see what I am is holding me down
I'll turn it around

I finally see the dawn arrivin'
I see beyond the road I'm drivin'
Far away and left behind

It's a new horizon and I'm awakin' now
Oh I see myself in a brand new way
The sun is shinin'
the clouds are breakin'
'Cause I can't lose now, there's no game to play

I can tell
There's no more time left to criticize
I've seen what I could not recognize
Everything in my life was leading me on
but I can be strong

I finally see the dawn arrivin'
I see beyond the road I'm drivin'
Far away and left behind

 

People

PEOPLE

People are often unreasonable, illogical and self-centered; Forgive them anyway.

If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives; Be kind anyway.

If you are successful, you will win some false friends and some true enemies; Succeed anyway.

If you are honest and frank, people may cheat you; Be honest and frank anyway.

What you spend years building, someone could destroy overnight; Build anyway.

If you find serenity and happiness, they may be jealous; Be happy anyway.

The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow; Do good anyway.

Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough
Give the world the best you've got anyway.

You see, in the final analysis, it is between you and GOD;
It was never between you and them anyway.

My friend just sent this to me. I just googled it and the author is Kent M. Keith. This poem is often attributed to Mother Teresa who had it hanging on the wall in her school/orphanage. However, Mr. Keith wrote these words in his book Do It Anyway: The Handbook for Finding Personal Meaning and Deep Happinessin a Crazy World

Tags: Kent M. Keith People Mother Teresa

Now Hear This!

My very own baby sister (I'm 46 and she's 43 but she'll always be my baby sister) won 2nd prize at the Philadelphia Flower Show for a floral arrangement she worked on with another designer (whose name I don't know but when I find out I'll give her props)!!!!!!

Yay Valerie!!!!

Val started designing about 25 years ago - geez time flies! and does a lot of wedding flowers and special event type things. 25 years worth is a lot of flower petals! You go girl!!! Big Sis is so proud of you!!!!

Tags: Sister Flower Show

Working for the Weekend

Don’t mean to wish my life away but I am looking forward to a week off.  Since September when our lives started coming under the rule of the Loudoun County School system I’ve discovered I enjoy taking time off when Jackson is off.  It’s a lot of fun hanging out with him.  I even think it’s fun for him to be with his mom all day.  So two more work days.  Not even going to get into that now.  Not sure what’s going on but I’m committed to disengage from the nonsense that has been going on and the resolution is in someone else’s hands.  I put the wheels in motion now have to go about my business and see what goes down.  Still have to polish up my resume for the new opportunity but today was crazy busy with moving stuff out of space we’re giving back to the client and making plans to go to NYC for an overnight adventure with Jackson.  We’re taking the train up and meeting friends – h.s. friend of mine and her son who is older than Jackson but will be fine to be big brother for two days.  (then happily go back to being an only child I’m sure).  It’s 1:39 on Thursday and I got up just before 6:00 a.m. on Wednesday which means it’s time for me to get some rest.  <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

Wicked Wednesday

Does anyone else hate the term "hump day"?

Today is wicked Wednesday in a good way - instead of cool, it's gonna be WICKED because it's going to be a great day. The dilemma that has been bringing me down for months has been placed into the proper hands and there is nothing for me to do but be me. Do my thing, ply my trade, practice my craft, the whole bit.

Yesterday I was sitting at my desk at work and feeling better but like maybe I could be pushed in either direction and my friend in NY sent me this:

out of the blue and just because! He's another one that I bonded with before I even met him in person and he's an adorable young man I recruited who's gone on to another company but still keeps in touch because I am his AMERICAN MOMMY! It's so nice to be thought of by people you care about...that is why I try to let the ones I care about know I'm thinking about them whenever I'm thinking about them.

I'm up early - just paid bills online which makes life so much easier - and now I have a little time to mess around with Chester's layout! Maybe even squeeze in a little yoga before I hit the shower!

I told ya it's gonna be WICKED today!

I'm Here, I'm Still Here

 have been MIA for a bit haven't I? Work's been an ordeal. I've
been blogging a bit on my scrapbook.com page (I'm ScrapJoy there) and
I've also been interacting with the group I'm getting to know on
another scrapbook site (A Scrapping Friendsy if anyone is interested
in what that is). I started a 2nd journal - possibly to torture
myself because now I have two that I feel I don't write in often
enough - but the 2nd I picked up because I was on the road and felt a
need to write about what I was reading in a book called "Devotions
for Lent". I just got home from Mass a little while ago, a Mass that
I almost didn't go to because I was running late. I thought about
going this evening to another church but lately I've felt a
connection with my own that's stronger than it had been before. What
I have to share is that I decided to get in the shower and go to
12:15 Mass at my own church even though I'd be walking in part way
through. I was so glad that I did that I talked to the priest about
it afterward because I literally walked in during the sermon and
heard him say the very things I needed to hear today as I struggle
with the nonsense in the workplace. Without giving you the whole
rundown it was basically about Jesus' suffering and the fact that He
is right here in our lives every single day with us not just hanging
on the cross in an empty church and that by letting go of fear and
putting our faith in Him great things occur and we are taken care
of. Landing in the job I'm in right now was a miracle at the time
and I knew it. I need to make a move now and I was foolish to worry
that I wouldn't be taken care of again. It will all be fine.
I didn't mean to get preachy right there - just wanted to share what
I experienced today. (Whether you believe or not - just sharing my
experience - hope I didn't offend anyone with the religious aspect as
it's not my intention to try to push that on others or cause
controversy.)
Also, another revelation. I have my dining room table pushed down to
the far end of the dining room right in front of the double window
and I'm sitting here right now realizing it would be the perfect
place to have a home office/art studio because it looks out over the
backyard which is the most beautiful area of our property - My
dogwood tree is directly in my line of sight out there.

Tags: Faith, Self Awareness, Spiritual Journey, Thankfulness