Today we went to Dollywood. Me, hubby and two kids. It was actually pretty good. Matthew was only a little fussy and it wasn't very crowded - which was VERY nice. We hardly had to wait in line for anything. Andrew rhode his first big roller coaster today! It was Splash Mountain - I think. Anyway, it was a log flume type thing - bumps you around a few curves, then up-up-up, turn the corner, and HUGE drop. Now, I am a roller coaster gal. Love em! Will go on anything. I don't think I have EVER been so nervous about a roller coaster like I was today. And this one was really nothing - just one drop. But I was nervous for Andrew. I was so afraid he was going to be too scared. But he wasn't - he loved it! And he even went again with his Daddy. Of course we HAD to buy the overpriced - but AWESOME picture they took of us while screaming so we could scrap his first coaster. We wanted the one of him and Matt too but man they run it into you on those things! Well, more later about our big day. I'm off to watch Lost!

This post may have no picture! {GASP!} That's right -
no
picture.
I am SO loving my new camera AND I got all my computer problems fixed but now the computer is getting lazy on me and not liking the new bigger sized pictures I'm throwing at it. A friend said I need more RAM. Not cool. I may just wait to get some, which will just mean no printing or posting pictures. Which is not cool but you do what you have to. Unless I make the design team! Then I'll HAVE to be able to post my picts. I love a good excuse! But I really don't want to get it right now cause it's expensive. And I'm getting ready to buy Dollywood tickets. WOOHOO! Yeah, that's as close to a vacation as we're gonna get this year. I THINK we may have the $$ to go to the beach next year though. I'm ready. I haven't been on a real vacation in 4 years. I think it would be so fun to see the kids at the beach too.
Anyway, we had an AWESOME time at Andrew's birthday last Saturday. The weather didn't cooperate but that was just a minor inconvience. I looked hilarious and had fun doing it too. I wish I could show you the picture! I had my supermom tiara and big hair and loud makeup/face paint. I loaned out my cape but it would have just been in the way anyway. We had a very tasty and not bad looking Batman cake that I made. We did a little superhero training course and the kids earned Super League badges that I made with my handy dandy Cricut. Love that thing! Then the bad guy {Matt dressed in his wrestling mask} stole the candles and the kids {the ones who weren't afraid of either him or his silly string} went after him with {empty} water guns and saved the day! Then after cake and presents, we led Andrew to the toy room and showed him his big present that several people donated towards - a bounce house. Very cool! Yep, I'm THE Mom. ;-)
Well, let's go scrap, or look at scrappy things on the web, or think about scrapping or....something!

Random verse for today
Job 40:3-5 Job answered:
"I'm speechless, in awe—words fail me. I should never have opened my mouth!I've talked too much, way too much. I'm ready to shut up and listen."

Here's the latest. I tried to post picts yesterday but the computer has been acting up and wouldn't allow it. Right now it's too late to think. I just finished and entered my little ugly dolls in a contest over at - http://redvelvetgirls.typepad.com/. I was asked to come up with a craft for the girls on Wednesday nights at church and I thought they would be perfect for them to do.

The tissue box is something I've had sitting around FOREVER. I have been meaning to finish it for months. It's for Mom for her office. I love how it turned out - simple but pretty. Well, let's go to bed. Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz..........

Oh - Happy Late Easter. I hope you didn't let the bunny overshadow the REAL reason for this holiday weekend. He loved and loves us THAT much. Pastor talked about how Jesus had to battle his flesh before going to the cross - when he prayed for God to take this cup from him but even though His flesh didn't want to, He prayed and submitted to God's will. It's still hard to fathom that He was a man too. Pastor pointed out that Jesus prayed for strength before the battle and often times we don't pray until we're IN the battle. Awesome stuff to think about.

Long time no blog. I've been busy working on my first ever design team submission. I'm trying out for the one over at ScrapHappyKT. Very nice girls over there. I did 3 new layouts, an altered canvas - LOVE IT! - and a card. {Shhhh! Don't tell KT but I'm not that great with cards!} I don't do cards. I dont' give cards except when I'm feeling EXTREMELY mushy or something. But I can. If they want cards - I'll give em' cards!

Other than that, some bad luck on ebay - hate those scammers! I haven't mailed the camera yet but I could have sold it to someone else. Oh well. I'll just relist it. I did order my *dream* camera though. VERY excited! I'm sure there will be tons of gorgeous pictures coming soon! Well, let's go work on Andrew's birthday invites. I need to get those out tomorrow.

Random Bible verse for today: Don't run away from God. He loves you enough to send a storm after you. - Jonah 1:4 But God sent a huge storm at sea, the waves towering.

Someone had this fun little thing on their blog about the 80s. You had to post your favorite 80s stuff and she would draw a name for a prize. Well, I knew my memory wasn't all that great but I couldn't believe how many things I remembered when I started reading the other comments. Jelly shoes, cabbage patch dolls, strawberry shortcake, the skate inn, Paula Abdul, Tiffany, Debbie Gibson, big hair, the Goonies movie, carebears, tight-rolling your jeans, those brown shoes and wrapping your laces in a coil instead of tying them, Punky Brewster, Cindy Lauper, my little pony, schrunching your socks, Footloose, Dirty Dancing, crimped hair, Keds, Cocktail, Electric Youth and Exclamation perfumes, the Smurfs!, the Babysitter's Club books.

When I think about my childhood my thoughts go directly to the bad stuff. Like being chubby and shy and the not-so-great friends. Why is it you usually remember the bad stuff first? But these things definetely brought a smile to my face. I'll have to refer to this list when I go to scrap my childhood.

Anyway, this is my latest page. I was trying something new with the white background, watercolored title and all that stitching. I like it but it's not my favorite. Good but not fabulous - dharlingk.

So, your random scripture for today is from here.

{For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. Ephesians 2:4-10}

Our new baby! I've just got a minute but I had to show her off! She's such a doll! I think I'm going to name her SweetPea. She's a Shih-poo and weighs about 2lbs. SO cute! Thank you Lord for our new baby!!!

This is for the girls on the message board. My hubby is a pro wrestler. I love him and support him in his hobby, but grown men in tights is funny no matter how you cut it! Love you babe! ;-)

Nothing can cheer a girl up like a good meatball sub, a cherry mountain dew and sharing a big ol' hot fudge cake with mom. Yum-O! - as she would say!

Yep - that 's my mom. Go ahead and say it - we look like sisters instead. That's a good thing though - shows what I'll look like.

Can you see my horribly red cabinets in the background? That was the first time I had really painted anything. HUGE mistake. Got cheap paint. It was supposed to be strawberry. It was just plain tomato ugly. We finially got around to repainting it. They look great now. I haven't taken a picture yet since I'm still searching for curtains. We painted the living room a really pretty yellow, then the dining room a light olive color and the cabinets are now apricot. They were all Laura Ashley colors and go together very well.

Anyway, did some good shopping at Hobby Lobby. A few odd & ends - most of what I bought was 50% off! Woo-hoo! And I finially got a canvas. I've been wanting to do a class AND do something to hang in the living room. Let's see how long it sits here before I actually do something with it. Not only do I have the pressure of a class but also the pressure of looking at it in my house daily. Wish me luck.

I knew I was forgetting something on yesterdays post - my verse! I was too excited over my wreath I guess. Well, here's one for today:

{Deuteronomy 8:17-18 - You may say to yourself, "My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me." But remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your forefathers, as it is today.}

Cute new stuff! I finially got around to scrapping! YAY! I'm a sickie today so I blew off most of my cleaning plans to scrap. I've been procrastinating on the wreath. It is for a class at Hobby Lobby and I think I was worried about it being just right. I LOVE how it turned out! SO cute! I can't wait to make more for different seasons. I got TONS of paper last week when it was 50% off. Love a good sale.

This little bucket was inspired by Creasa's little bucket she made. Mine is going to Andrew's teacher. I made the little eggs with a Quickutz die and the grass was a punch. I put those new Hershey Kisses in it - Vanilla Creme. They're pretty good but the caramel ones are my favorite.

Well, I'm off to make another cornbread for my hubby to take to work. Wish me luck because I've made cornbread about twice in my life. I'm very proud to say that it was pretty great - I had my Pastors over for dinner and he wouldn't stop eating it! Very cool since it was THE first time I had made it AND I had combined my Mamaw H's recipe with my Mamaw K's recipe. Dangerous stuff. I hope the boys at Eastman are as happy as Pastor was.

Happy Thursday!

I love movies. I love renting movies. I love to go to the movie theater. I LOVE movie theater popcorn - it's the BEST! We don't get to watch movies like we used to though. The cursing has gotten SO much worse. It's like it's a requirement for every PG13 movie to have THE curse word in it (g.d.- you know - THE curse word) I HATE that. We've almost given up on anything but kids movies simply because we've had to turn so many movies off in the middle - and that is hard to do sometimes I'll admit. A big thanks to the people putting out all these Christian movies here lately - LOVE them! If you haven't seen One Night With the King - you should.



Anyway. We watched a movie last night - The Prestige. We had been eagerly anticipating it. The previews looked really good. However, it was not at all what I expected. Majorly disappointed. Much darker than what I expected. Not a happy ending. We watched The Illusionist about a month ago. I was wishing I had just watched it again - it was good. It had a good ending and you didn't know the tricks until they told you, at least I didn't. I don't think there was any cursing in either one - at least not that I can remember.



Oh, by the way, don't ever ask me to tell you about a movie unless you have a while.

I

do

not

tell

short

stories.

Ever.

I'm not capable of telling short stories. So unless you REALLY want to KNOW about a movie - don't ask me. Maybe that's a good thing. Maybe it means I'm a detailed person. Hmm...



Ok, so here is the not-so-random scripture from today. It comes from Pastor's message on Sunday.

{Deuteronomy 8:2 - Remember how the Lord your God led you all the way in the desert these forty years, to humble you and to test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep His commands.}



P.S. I am under the kellicrowe blog theory that every blog post needs a picture. Even if it's a random one that has nothing to do with the actual blog post. Drum roll please....... your picture for today will be......

This is how I felt after watching that yucky movie! hehehe!

At some point during the morning I usually check my email. Today was no different. I got up, started some coffee and pulled up my email. Usually nothing but spam, forwards, and the occasional newsletter from some scrappy somethingorother. Today was different. (see picture of WOW face to left) Today, I got an email from Kelli Darr. Who is Kelli Darr you might ask? Well, she is a very tallented scrapbooker - just check out her blog, she's a Christian mom, AND she's best friend to none other than kellicrowe. So in other words - she's SUPER cool and scrappy! AND not only did I get an email from her - she had good things to say about my blog and my cutie little cornboy page! I SO did the happy dance and had a smile on my face for litterally HOURS. Which was extra nice on church day. It made me really thankful for so many things. For this SUPER DUPER THING called scrapbooking (I can no longer refer to it as a hobby - for me it's SO much more), for how far I've come with my style, for knowing that God has a purpose for me in scrapbooking, and for having this feeling that this is JUST the beginning of great things. Just further incentive for me to work harder at my relationship with God. Don't get me wrong - it's not supposed to be hard, I make it hard with my laziness and hardheadedness. Pastor's message was good today - about relationship with God and temptation. Maybe one day they'll have his messages available for download. Wouldn't that be cool! Hmm... maybe I'll suggest that. UPDATE! My church is SUPER cool! We DO have messages available for download! Go here. I'm not sure how long it will take for them to make today's message available online but the message was titled "Inseparable" (How to live like a champion).

{James 1:14 but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed.}

This is me.

Andrew took this picture. It's one of my favorites. Aspiring photographer at age 3 1/2.

Today was good. Hubby was sweet on the phone...went to Hobby Lobby and got stuff for a new class...went to McDonalds with my friend Ginny and her kids.

Left the house = good day.

I'm doing a scrappy wreath class. Seen those and love them! So I'm coming up with my own version with some spring papers by American Crafts and a few other goodies. I think if it goes well I might make up some kits to sell for the other seasons and holidays. Hmm...

Happy Friday!

Let's try this again...

I love it when I make a page and am truely happy with it. That's a struggle sometimes. I took a creative break for a while and just scraplifted. It was great! I just gave myself permission to blatently scraplift without guilt. I loved how the pages turned out and it helped to take the pressure off for a while. I didn't feel like I HAD to make something original and creative and perfect. This page is not a lift by the way. It's mine. Feels good to say that. LOVE those pictures. Cracked me up! I figured silly pictures needed a silly layout.

So, I'm trying this blogging thing again. I'm really getting into reading others' blogs. Wilna had a challenge on her blog and the winner got a copy of the new MM book. She challenged people to post a comment to her blog every day and the most faithful posters names went in for a drawing. I didn't win that - I did win the scavanger hunt thing she had :-) - but I did enjoy posting and reading every day. So here I am. Trying my own blog again. I'm going to be teaching at Hobby Lobby so I figured I could post my dates on here. Plus we're starting a scrapbook interest group at church - and I figured I would put that on here. Plus I'm very scattered with journaling. I made a cute little altered journal but I rarely write in it. I usually jot something down on paper and end up sticking it in a pile somewhere. So many reasons to blog.

I really love how some on my favorite bloggers put scripture at the end of their posts. So I'm going to attempt to do that too. I think I may put random ones in unless I can think of something appropriate to go with whatever was said that day. So, your random verse for today is:
{For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has? Romans 8:24}
Thanks Stacy for the inspiration!

The prodigal Lovey has returned! Matthew's Lovey has been lost for a week as of Sunday. We of course had a twin stunt double - both of the loveys are courtesy of Mamaw - but he wouldn't have anything to do with the new one. I knew the thing had to be in our bedroom somewhere and I think I had even looked before in the place I found it - but this time I shook this old blanket and out it came. At first he threw it down thinking it was the new lovey. Then he looked and saw that old, nasty, brown, chewed-on squeaker paw and picked it back up. He had his paci in his mouth but I could tell that he grinned. He held onto that paw and I pulled him into my lap. He sat for a minute and looked and felt of it - it was so sweet. Then he pulled his paci out and plopped that paw in his mouth. YUCK! (And just so you know, yes it has been washed MANY times but after a very short time it smells gross again.)
Since Lovey has been missing Matthew has decided to go to sleep laying on my (or Matt's) shoulder instead of down in our arms. Well tonight after finding Lovey, he happily laid in my arms and felt of the squeaker paw and flopped Lovey here and there til he finially went to sleep. I don't know what to think of this amazing attachment and love he has for this thing. You have to wonder what's going on in that little mind. I wonder how long he will carry Lovey. I'm sure he'll be around for a great while to come anyway. Had to share - very very sweet.

((Love has a dog's head, a blankey body -formerly fluffy on one side and satiny on the other - and paw corners with a squeaker in one that no longer squeaks because it's been chewed. In this picture you can see Matthew holding Lovey at bedtime. This was taken right after his 1st birthday. It was taken to comemorate breaking him from the bottle.))

This week we traded the bottle for the paci. Many people think I'm crazy giving him a paci after he's never taken one so far. Well, Dr. Lewis told me to get him off the bottle so I picked a day and decided no more bottle. He cried for a very long time starting at naptime - @10am - until I decided I had had enough and went for a car ride in hopes for a nap - @noon. I called my sister and was talking about our no-bottle day and she said - "yeah, Madison didn't take a paci til I took the bottle. We made the big mistake of giving her one then." Hmm. A paci. It didn't sound like a mistake to me! {at least not today!} I just so happen to have one in the console of the jeep - I guess it was supposed to be a give-away that never was. So when we got home I gave it a good scrub and a new love affair was born. He popped that thing right in, I layed him down in his crib with his lovey and music, left the room, and never heard a peep. If I had known that would have happened I would have give him one LONG ago! Our normal nap/bedtime consisted of rocking with a bottle and usually patting for a while after it ran out, meanwhile wondering what Andrew had decided to get into today or wondering if that was the sound of the door opening {and on one occasion it actually was!}. So, the paci, or bink as I like to call it, is offically our friend. You have to admit, he looks adorable with it! It also made the bottle transition a little less sad for me. That milestone forced me to say he's not a baby anymore! The paci lets me see that he still is - even if it's just a little. Thanks bink!

BIRTHDAY BOY!
This is what I like to call "cake face". He wasn't too sure about the cake at first. {We gave him the red cupcake off the cake.} But once he got started it was great! He squished it in his fingers, rubbed it in his hair, there was even some in his ear, and he got a couple big clumps of icing in his mouth. MMM!
He had a good party. He could have cared less about opening presents though. He enjoyed them later. Thanks to all our friends and family that helped us celebrate Matthew!
At 1 year old, Matthew can just about run. He is trying to talk and attempts to say several things - Mama, Dada, boo, hot, light, ba for bath, hi, bye, and at least one more I'm forgetting. Sometimes he tries to copy what you say and I think he'll be talking before we know it. He has 6 teeth. He LOVES to be outside, he loves taking baths and being naked or "kaked" as Andrew likes to call it. He's very friendly and happy all the time. He's still sweet and cuddly and I hope he stays that way. He's a very special, sweet, and loved little boy.



He went straight to the tub after this!

THE CAKE
Let's start with last Friday - Feb 24th. I decided that I was going to make Matthew's birthday cake. We had originally planned to have his party on Feb 18th, the day before his birthday, but we got snowed out. So we switched it to the next Saturday. The cake that I had ordered for the 1st party date was very tasty but I didn't like what she did with it - at all. So, since I had most everything together for the party and would have Friday free, I decided to make the cake. I don't really like the decorations on the store-bought cakes and I'm a little picky when it comes to what I want anyway so I figured why not do it myself - that way if it stinks there's no one to blame but me! Anyway, I never knew cake making could be so expensive! Thanks again to Keith for buying the supplies. I had some decorating tips but I needed an icing spatula, food coloring, a little beginners book, meringue powder, bags, extra couplers, a pan, a cake box and cake squares - those things the cake sits on in the box. I'm sure there was probably something I left out of that list too - and this is all besides the eggs and flower and over 6lbs of powdered sugar! I got the cake and icing recipes from Wilton web site, got all my stuff and first thing Friday morning I started on the cake. A little ways into it I realized I was going to have to make 2 cake batters to have enough. This was a bit of trouble so I made a batch of cupcakes first to make sure it was going to taste good enough to be worth it. The cupcakes were AWESOME and gone before we went to bed that night. The cake turned out good except it fell in the middle. I tested it with a toothpick and even gave it extra time but I don't think it was done enough. It was still good though. So after 2 cake batters it was on to 2 batches of icing. One white to ice the cake then the other was divided into 4 bowls and colored red, blue, yellow, and green. It was between 5 and 6:00 before I finished icing that cake. It was really good though, and everyone loved it. I decided I still want to take the classes so hopefully they will help me finish a little quicker.

Very excited! (notice his Big Bird & Elmo figures) 

I have been blessed with a breakthrough! I have always struggled with reading the Bible. Even when I wanted to read or made myself read, it's like none of it was really sinking in. Something has changed - and it's great! It seems like every time I would start over at trying to read the Bible I would start at Genesis. I can't tell you how many times I've read Genesis. But this time is different. It's like God is unlocking the scriptures for me.
I'vw also started journaling after my reading. I'm writing just whatever I happen to think about the chapters I just read. Tonight it was about the tower of Babel and I wrote about how it must have been for those people to experience that. I mean, one minute you're friend is talking to you and the next gibberish is coming out of their mouth! Sometimes it's more meaningful than that - but you get it. But it's not just the journaling that's making the difference. The reading is different. I told Matt, it's almost like I've been tested all this time to see if I would ever give up. I've failed TONS but I always thanked God for never giving up on me and I always tried again. I've always known there was no turning back - that will never be an option. And the messages we hear at our church challenge us not to be just another person that comes to church once a week. Yeah that person may be saved and going to heaven - but don't you want to be better than just "there"? Especially when it comes to what you're supposed to be basing your life on? So I've been convicted about just being "there". Some days it didn't matter but more and more days it has mattered. I think I'll finially be able to take a step forward. It feels that way anyway.
We went to see Sesame Street Live on Wednesday. We took both our boys - Matthew (11 mths) and Andrew (3 in April). They both loved it! I was surprised Matthew paid so much attention and sat so well. Andrew did pretty good. He had a meltdown right before intermission and again right at the end. My family joked that he was coming down from his sugar high induced from the cotton candy -which is probably true. He hadn't had a nap either - my plan for him falling asleep in the car hadn't panned out. But we had a good time and got some great pictures. I love the ones of his sweet little face all lit up and not paying a bit attention to the camera.
I was very thankful to have Grandma and Grandpa there to spoil Andrew too. They provided the junk food and an Elmo ball cap - very cute - and a Sesame Street figurine set. Andrew loves those figurines and held on to a couple through the entire show. The next day he had them all out on the table while watching a SS video - very cute. Oh and my neice Madison (age 8) went and got Andrew one of those spinny things that lights up - he loved it too. We would definetely do it again one day. But I don't think I can talk anyone (especially Daddy) into the Barney show in February! haha!

What kid doesn't love to unroll the toilet paper!?