Love You

Morning all! So my day is going to be a bit busy. I have to do school with all the kids, pack for all of us for a week, load it in the trailer, clean the house (can't leave a totally trashed house for the week), did I mention we're out of both bread and milk (must plan a trip to Wal-mart in here sometime), and all by myself. My husband won't be home until 9-10 tonight. Fun times. :) But, I bet if everyone works together, we can get it all done. The kids are excited about going to St. Louis, and I bet I can play that up :)

This is a WordArt request from Heidi. She wanted to do a layout with her son and her daughter, and this quote. How sweet is that! I think as parents, we do feel an overwhelming love for our offspring. I think this will make cute layouts for kids, for couples, even for pets (as much as I don't like animals :) Hope you like it!

Click on the image below to download, and leave some love if you like my work.

FONTS:

Love, You - Stephanie Marie JF

Urban Myth

OK, I know. that I said only 1 post a day, but, well, my husband just left for today and tomorrow to drill (Civil War reenactment), and I'm home alone with the 5 kids (can I really ever be alone?), so I'm watching them play the super nintendo (yeah, we're really up to date on the gaming systems), and designing.

I thought that because the Graduation WordArt was pretty specific, I'd put out another pretty specific one today too. Usually, I try to keep them very generic. But, I've had several friends who struggled to get pregnant (not me, we just have to think the word BABY, and we're pregnant, hence the 5 kids and 7 pregnancies in 11 years). I thought that this would be nice for you all out there who have struggled to get pregnant in the past or in the present. My thoughts are with you all :) This WordArt request is from Ashley.

Click on the image below to download, and leave some love if you like my work.

FONTS:

Urban, Myth - Goombella

Graduation is the Beginning

This is a WordArt request from Colleen, who wanted something for Graduation, since it's coming up next month! Great for your graduate, or your pictures of going to graduation, or even for a child going up into the next grade. Lots of possibilities :)

We're all getting ready to head out for Illinois on Sunday. We're leaving right from church (Stake Conference, for those of you who know "LDS lingo" ), and driving back to Chicago to check on our house. Then, on Monday, we'll be driving down to St. Louis to spend a late Easter :) with Captain America's brothers. Should be a great trip! One advantage of homeschooling is that we can shift our vacation times to match up with my husbands.

Don't worry, I'll still be putting on the freebies. We have 5 working computers at our house, all hooked up with the internet. Captain America's brothers house is even more technological savvy than us, if you can imagine. I'll be hooked up, and able to get online. Yeah for me! And, maybe with so many grown-ups in the house, I'll even have time to design! That's my goal :) Wish me luck!!!

Click on the image below to download, and leave some love if you like my work.

FONTS:

Graduation - Castellar
Beginning - Charade JF

This card was sent in by Amanda - Didn't she do a great job! I think it's perfect! Thanks so much for sharing :)

Baby's First Bath

Yes, I know you thought that this series had finally gone away, but someone suggested this, and I thought it was too good to pass up! So, here it is. Another in your "Baby's First" collection! Enjoy :) .....don't you love my new banner? I used the Maui Breeze kit from the girls over at Scrap Orchard. Go give em a look. They've got great stuff, and they're so much FUN!!!

And, on a side note, my oldest did end up sick. But, luckily his aim is much better than the other kids, and I didn't have to clean up after him. He was mostly puny on the couch all day long. Good news, though, is everyone else seems to be feeling fine. I'll take a 12 hour virus any day of the week! Yeah for us!!!

Click on the image below to download, and leave some love if you like my work.

Credits for this page:

In Dreams kit - Birgit Ker

Template by MadeByMitzie

Elegant Wordart by Bethany Harty

Simple Spots - Katie Pertiet

Font - CK Footnote

This layout is from Trina, and is exactly what I had in mind when I made this wordart. Isn't it adorable! What a cute tiny baby!!!!

Mommy In Training

Wow, I must tell you, it's amazing how we just keep on learning, day after day! I learned a new trick in CS2 the other night. Did you know that if you have an element, like, say, a WordArt, in PNG format, with lots of extra loose space around it, you can go IMAGE, then TRIM, then ok, and it'll take all of the extra space out of it. Who knew! And, I've been saving my files as PNG files AND JPG files so that I could put up a preview here in blogger. Well, I forgot to do that with this WordArt, and accidentally tried to upload the PNG file. Well, lookie here! The PNG file works just fine. I'll have to remember that. I no longer have to save it as a JPG. Just think of all the time I've been wasting. heheheh.

I hope today finds me with less "fun" than last night did. At about 11:30 pm, I had a child puking in his bed. That was fun. But, he managed to aim for his sheets and blankets, so we just removed the bedding to the back yard to clean up this morning. I went right back to sleep. Then, at about 3:00 am, another child came saying there was more puking. Her aim wasn't so good. All over the carpet, her brothers bed, and his blanket. The 2 older boys were downstairs, trying to stay away from the puke smell. They were saying how bad she was for not making it to the toilet. My 8 year old, Tom, even said, I puked, but I at least made it to the toilet. Great, so there was more puke? After scrubbing the carpet, I went to the bathroom, and yep, he sure did make it to the toilet. ALL OVER IT! Gross. So, I only have 1 out of the 5 who hasn't puked in the past 24 hours. I wonder if he can make it IN the toilet, or if there will be more "fun" to clean up? Wish me luck!

Today's WordArt request come from Kim, who's daughter loves to "take care" of her baby doll. I know that I have a lot of pictures that this would be appropriate for. Even with my boys. Wouldn't that be a silly layout! Mommy in training. Yeah, they'd like that. I may have to make one, just because it sounds so silly to me :)

Click on the image below to download, and leave some love if you like my work.

FONTS:

Mommy - AnnabelleJF
in, training - Well, hmmm, can't seem to find that one again. so sorry :(

Heavens Flowers

Yes, I know there's only one, but I'm afraid that I'm having to cut back to one freebie a day. I knew that eventually, it would all catch up with me, and, well, it has. Life is WAY too busy in the springtime to spend all my time on the laptop. So, it's one a day. Hope you all understand :)

Yesterday, we had a ton of fun at Cub Scouts, despite a few "setbacks". We were all loaded up in the truck, and on our way, when suddenly, I heard coughing noises. You know, THOSE kind of coughing noises. The ones that say that PUKE is shortly following. Nice. I look back just in time to see chocolate vomit coming from the 2 year old, Jimmy. Heavens! Luckily, it was just a little bit, and it was only on him.

I look for a handy place to pull over and clean up the mess. Then the projectile chocolate vomit starts. NASTY! We find a place, and stop the truck. I get out at a gas station, and survey the mess. It was pretty nasty. The kids had found a big chocolate bunny in the freezer that afternoon, and had eaten it together. Hence, the chocolate vomit.

So, I managed to get his car seat unbuckled, and pulled out onto the ground. From there, I got him out of the seat, and stripped. We cleaned him up with Wendy's napkins as best we could, and let him ride in the back seat with the big kids. If the police pulled us over, the proof was in the trunk as to why my 2 year old was out of his seat :)

Only his socks were salvageable. He'd taken off his Sunday shoes after church, and they were still in the truck, so he had shoes and socks and diaper. Lovely. I made the 4 year old, Joe, give up his undershirt, so Jimmy wouldn't be totally naked.

When we got to Scouts (which was at a school with a really nice playground), the 10 year old, Jacob, played with all the kids in the playground, while the 8 year old, Tom, and I went into the meeting (the door faced the playground). When Tom was done, he came out to play with the little kids, and Jacob went to his Scout meeting.

Really, it was great. The kids got 1 1/2 hours at the playground, and there was no more puking. It was a great trip, and I'm glad that we kept on going, and didn't turn around. What's a little chocolate vomit, right? hehehe.

This WordArt request is from Allison. What a sweet saying it is. I'd never heard this one, but think it's so precious. I can image how sweet a flower in heaven must be, and that's just as cute as my little girl is!

Click on the image below to download, and leave some love if you like my work.

FONTS:

Heavens - An Unfortunate Font DeWarped
Little Girls - Luxury Royale JF



Credits: Template, Scrappers Guide, Kit is RakScraps April Mega Kit

Thanks so much to Allison for sending in this WONDERFUL layout! Great colors, an love the subdued colors in the photo! Great effect!

Ellie Lash "heart song mini"

JulieO stoneaccents

Thanks so much to Maria for sending in this layout. I LOVE the pinks and the greens. What an adorable little girl you have!!!

No Place Like Nana's AND Granny's

OK, for all of you who wanted to see this variation of the Grandma's house WordArt, it's finally up. Just scroll down to Sunday, and look under the pic of the Grandma WordArt. It's all ready for you!!!

And, I just added a variation to the Call Me Mom WordArt that reads "My greatest blessing calls me Mom", for Mom's of only one child.

Joyfully Embraces

This is a WordArt request from Jane. She's been trying for a while to come up with a WordArt for this saying of hers, and said she just couldn't get it right. So, does this work for ya, Jane? Hopefully it does :)

I thought that this would be great for ocean, beach, or lake pictures. Well, anything with waves. It would also be good for "wave pool" pictures, for big splashes in the swimming pool, or basically any time that people get really wet when they aren't expecting it.

Click on the image below to download, and leave some love if you like my work.

FONTS -
Joyfully - Juliet
embraces - impact

Credits:Kit Summertime Cocktail-
http://lalilounet.canalblog.com/
Butterfly trail--Bunny S Cates bunny@digital-scrapbooking.org
WordArt by ME!

Thanks so much to Deb and her daughter (4) for sending in this layout! Didn't they do a great job! I think that I'm gonna do this with my kids, let them pick the "fancy stuff" to add to a page. What a great project to do! Love how you guys made the words Pop off the page. Especially Joyfully. It looks like toothpaste! Little ole me, still learning Photoshop doesn't have a clue how to do something like that yet. Just give me time, though, and someone will show me how ;)

You're So Corny

Ha! If I had a quarter for every time I said this to my family, I'd be rich. OK, not really. Do you know how many times you'd have to say that to really be rich. Anyway, you get the idea. We sure have a lot of corn-i-ness going on around here!

This is a WordArt request for Nancy, who wanted this to go with the pictures of her kids and their Uncle's playing with the Corn On The Cob thingys, sword fighting. I thought that this would be perfect for 1) Eating Corn; 2) Being in a corn field; 3) Being in a Corn Maze; 4) Doing something dorky. Yep, any of these should work :) Personally, I'd go with the being dorky. hehehe

Click on the image below to download, and leave some love if you like my work.

FONTS:
Corny - Earwig Factory
You're so - Designers

Family Stitched Together With Love

This is a WordArt request from Angie. I thought that it turned out very nice. Very simple, but I think it gets it's point across. It's so important to spend time with our families, and let bonds of love develop. I know that my husband works really long hours, and we don't see him as often as we would like to, but I know that my kids love him. I know that they so enjoy their time with daddy. And, I'm glad that I can be home with my kids. I know that a lot of families don't have that option. Money's always been a struggle for us, especially with my decision to stay home, but I think we're better off for it :) Anyway, hope you like the WordArt :)

Click on the image below to download, and leave some love if you like my work :)

FONTS:
f,a,m,i,l,y - Smargana
other - Swing Set BB

Fire In Our Life

Hope you all had a great weekend, and are ready to get back to "life"! I sure know that I am. We're having our Spring Break next week, so we're trying to have a really productive week in school! And yes, I did get my "day off" on Saturday. I just stayed at home, but when people had problems, they went to Dad, and he handled them. I got to do a little designing, a little sewing, I got to go to Wal-Mart all by myself (yes, my life is exciting, I know), he cooked (Dominos for the kids, and Subway for us), and he put the kids to bed. It was fantastic! I'm such an easy person to please!!!

This is a WordArt request from Susie. What great words to live by. Find the thing that you are excited about, that gives you energy, that makes you happy, and keep doing it! We need to take time for ourselves, since we're so busy helping others most of the time :) At least I am. Somedays, I feel like that's all I do :) How important it is to find what re-energizes us, and make time for it! I give you all permission to "do what you like" for an hour today. hehehe. But no, I won't be by afterwards to clean up your kids' messes for the lack of supervision. Oh wait. That only happens in my house. I forgot. Silly me :)

FONTS:
Fire - Stephanie Marie JF
Life - Felix Titling

No Place Like Grandma's

This WordArt is a request from Kimberly. How true it is! I have such fond memories from my Grandma Ida's house. I spent so much time over at her house. She taught me to bake cookies, to sew, and so much more. Love you, Grandma Ida!!!

No Place Like Mimi's house
No Place Like Gram's house
No Place Like Nana's House
No Place Like Granny's House
No Place Like Grandpa's House
No Place Like Poppa's House

FONTS:

Grandma's - BoysRGross
No, Place, Like - Decade

Parenting is Learning

Here's a WordArt request from Angie. Awe, I know that my "training" as a parent will never be done. Just when you think you have it all figured out, you realize that you still don't know what you are doing, and hope that you don't screw up this precious little life that you were entrusted with! I sure hope that my kids all turn out relatively normal. hehehe

Click on the image below to download, and leave some love if you like my work.