Suzanne C. Walker

moving!

2010-01-18T06:52:00.001-08:00

hey, guys! just wanted to let you know that i'll be moving.... my blog, that is! you can find me now at suzannecwalker.com!

yipes!

2009-11-08T10:14:00.000-08:00

it has been a crazy month or two! back to school routines, soccer x 2, singing in the bach chorale childrens' choir x2, basketball, homework, snack, lunches, field trips, class parties... the list does go on! i'm working on a huge revamp of my blog and my photography web site, and adding some fabulous stationery products... stay tuned for more VERY soon!

To-Teacher Notes!

2009-10-02T19:44:00.000-07:00

For our second To-Teacher Note, we'll use a more graphic theme and grey-scaled images to reduce ink-use. These are my "green" notes. And, in fact, if your teachers have email, it would be great to use email communication as much as possible - these would make a very easily adapted email stationery!

For this one, I used DSP Abby and a couple doodley framey things. I kept it very simple. But printed out, it looks so awesome!

To-Teacher Notes!

2009-10-02T14:48:00.000-07:00

I find myself frequently sending a note to one of the kids' teachers, and having to scrounge through my notepad-drawer (which can be very dangerous, as it's also my junk-drawer, camera-stuff-drawer, extra-bendy-straw-drawer, and the-drawer-of-no-return) for a scrap of paper to write on. Then, after adding all my necessary correspondence (i.e., "I will be picking Maggie up from school today; will you have her go to the "big K" instead of the bus?"), I add my name and phone number. To every single darned piece of scrap paper I send to the school.

So, why not save some steps (and maybe some paper - or at least the pain and suffering of diving into the junk drawer every morning before the second cup of coffee)? I'm going to show you how to make two versions of a very cute, VERY easy "To-Teacher" note; I use Adobe Photoshop, but you can use whichever graphics software program you wish. You can dress your own notes up, down, or sideways using fabulous fonts (on sale now!), page kits and embellishments from the digital scrapbook place. And you will love the unique flair that your correspondence will carry with your very own one-of-a-kind notes!

Start with a canvas size of 4x10 inches. We will end up with two notes on each printed sheet.

Add your favorite digital scrapbooking embellishments, papers, and stamps to personalize the look of your notes. Since these are notes that we will want to write on after printing, we will use a cardstock or even just plain old copier-weight paper, instead of photo paper. I also suggest that we steer clear of using photographs or other highly detailed graphics for these notes. You can purchase cardstock in a variety of weights and packaged quantities at many local stores in the office supply section.

For our first To-Teacher note, we're going to use a digital page kit with papers and embellishments to make a super-awesome scrapbook page-ish note. For me, the hardest part of the process is deciding which digital page kit to use! A nice problem to have... I'll use graphics from my Ainsley Collection for this note.

The first thing I do is to stick a paper on there. Then I added the title of the note. You might have to get creative with your font work on this if you have as many kids as I do!

I will circle the name of the appropriate kid when I'm sending the note to the teacher. The middle section of the note will be blank for the message of the note. So, that leaves the bottom and top (maybe sides if you want to get really creative) to embellish. I tend to go for white space and simple design, so I'm not using every single piece in the collection.

Once you have your embellishments in their spots, save your document as a layered file (in case you want to go back later and add kid #5...). After you have it saved, you can flatten it to move it to a print-sized canvas.

Now open a new canvas, sized 8.5x11 inches. Copy and paste your flattened note into the new canvas, then duplicate the note layer and arrange them side by side. Voila! Print and then slice it down the middle (and being the perfectionist that I am, I also slice off the white above and below).

oh dear!

2009-09-21T08:02:00.001-07:00

practices, singing, and school... oh MY! sung to the tune of "lions and tigers and bears!" i am so far behind in recording our lives........ and yet, it all just goes on without the updates... which is good, right? the kids are all happily ensconced in school. the girls are doing soccer, basketball, singing... homework.... the boys are loving pre-school. and we're just on the go all the time. and to think that someday we will look back at these years as the UNbusy years. :) here're a couple newer tidbits. done with the attitude schmattitude, chimeric and ainsley collections.

first day of school!

2009-08-15T05:31:00.000-07:00

wow, i can NOT believe the summer has come to an end! the girls went back to school thursday, so it's, BAM, back to early morning fun! the fourth grader and the second grader both love their teachers and classes. sam and charlie will start in the coming week - i can't believe that we'll have four (sort of) in school!

our good friends, the currys, arrived for a visit on their way to a big family reunion, and we've been having a blast with them! we have done the park, purdue campus fountains, slip-n-slide, and many giggles. here are just a few pics...

and the cinci layover!

2009-08-09T19:25:00.000-07:00

we stopped in cincinnati on our way back from north carolina, and spent a couple days with bill's sister, hubby, and their two BEAUTIFUL girls. the kids sort of disappeared - we saw them when they were looking for hiding places during hide-and-go-seek, but that was really the most we spotted them.

home sweet home!

2009-08-09T19:02:00.000-07:00

we're home from the beach... and oh my gawsh, let me tell you how wonderful our home felt. it was so great to walk in, hit the pillow... now we have to quickly shift into school gear - the girls go back THURSDAY!!! here are a few last-evening memories from our trip...

one of my favorite things...

2009-08-03T19:05:00.000-07:00

i love riding the ferry. i always recall our last trip to europe, when we went to this huge lake/resort in eastern france. i think it was eastern france, but who knows... we rode this ferry back and forth about 500 times just to drink in the scenery - we could see the alps, and the weather was absolutely incredible......

this ferry isn't quite so exotic... but i love riding it anyway! we took the ferry over to port fisher, and went to the aquarium there. it was an awesome day. sam was MESMERIZED by the poisonous tree frog exhibit. molly liked touching all the animals in the touch-tanks. charlie developed an intense ambivilance toward divers wearing masks and blowing bubble-kisses. and maggie loved reading and learning about all the animals.

"come on in, the water's fine!"

2009-08-03T18:31:00.000-07:00

we spent another awesome day at the beach yesterday. we have really had wonderful beach weather - hot, hot, hot! the kids got a kick out of flying kites, playing boccie ball, and swimming in the ocean and pool... wonderful memories!

what day is it?

2009-08-02T19:28:00.001-07:00

i've lost track of days on vacation. that's when you know it's a good one... we've had a great time. the kids have been REALLY great, and everyone has really enjoyed!

living the dream

2009-07-30T19:01:00.000-07:00

oh, my gosh, today was fabulous! up early to sit on the screened-in porch with charlie. then beach-time! picnic lunch at the beach house, followed by more beach/pool time. then a long, quiet run, a dip in the pool, and dinner out at the paradise cafe on holden beach. the topping on the cake was scoop's ice cream. i had special moments with my sam (whom i fished out of the pool after my run when he panicked and couldn't get to the side). we sat out on the balcony outside the girls' room, and just talked about stuff... he is so sweet and amazing. i'm so lucky. i had a walk with maggie, too, so fantastic quality time with half my kids (maybe tomorrow i can catch the other two)!

OH! and guess what i wore to the beach! my backyard bikini!!! i'm so thankful i don't know anybody here...................... ;)

dinner at the river house

2009-07-29T20:10:00.000-07:00

we took hot dogs and smore fixin's down to the river house this evening and grilled out. it was beautiful! the last time (the only other time) i was at the river house, i puked in the bushes and discovered i was pregnant with charlie! no such adventures this time, thank heavens! just hot dogs (that were difficult to cook on a sad little fire) and smores. hammock fun and just plain running around. sam couldn't get over the wonderful smell of the cedar inside the river house. he kept going on and on about it. it was so cute!

the henrietta

2009-07-29T20:01:00.000-07:00

we went on a riverboat tour this afternoon - it was awesome. the kids were totally gung-ho until about 2 minutes into the tour. then it was a whine-fest.

dinner

2009-07-29T19:44:00.000-07:00

the BEST place to eat down here in north carolina is roberto's... pizza and italian. y-u-m. sadly, though, the little chef statue that is always there at roberto's was gone this year. i had to take the yearly picture without him... just not the same...

day two - the pool

2009-07-29T19:37:00.000-07:00

after lunch, we hit the pool for a while. the kids had a blast slpashing around and playing water-tag. sam suddenly announced that he was ready to dunk... and he DID. he was so proud of himself!

day two at the beach

2009-07-29T19:28:00.001-07:00

we love to take bread crumbs and feed the seagulls - we talk about that all year long!

golf!

2009-07-29T19:18:00.000-07:00

mimi and papa's house sits on the 8th hole - a par three. which is perfect for going out in the evening to "practice". the kids had a ball this evening (literally).

the fish pond and the alligator

2009-07-29T19:06:00.000-07:00

no - not a real alligator. the cute, plastic kind that doesn't bite the arm off of small children. mimi and papa's next-door neighbors have this incredible water-garden. they have humongous koi (fish?) that the kids love to go visit. they even get to help feed them sometimes. this year, the neighbors have added a plastic alligator, with which the kids (particularly sam) are obsessed. sam insisted on having at least four poses with the alligator. it could be (along with the spider and the dead fish on the boat tour) a highlight of the trip.

i may have said this before...

2009-07-29T19:01:00.000-07:00

but no great evening would be complete without a little pickle. the family's favorite activity of the moment. everyone gets into it - laughing and running around... sam plays by his own rules, and molly quickly dissolves into riotous laughter, but maggie GETS it - so fun to watch them grow up...

happy birthday, daddy!

2009-07-29T18:55:00.001-07:00

we celebrated bill's birthday on our first evening at mimi and papa's; mimi made her awesome cheesecake (maggie had three slices)!

day one from the beach!

2009-07-29T18:46:00.001-07:00

finally getting the pictures organized - and yes, of course there are a ton of them... here's our first day at the beach. so much fun. there were sandcastles, minnow hunts, feeding seagulls, and body surfing... among sand-eating and other such activities...

can't wait to show you...

2009-07-20T20:23:00.001-07:00

this awesome new page kit... hipster graffiti! yes, i loved it so much, i'm re-pimping my blog to sport the darling doodles, and yes, i did have to spell-check graffiti... i LOVE this!!

::hipster graphiti page kit::

2009-07-16T07:51:00.000-07:00

ohhhhhhh, i am soooooooo feeling the freestyle vibe! here's a new page kit with some awesome doodles, and awesome colors! perfect for soooooooo many moments!!!

http://store.digitalscrapbookplace.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=10843

heavens to betsy, i can't wait!

2009-07-10T11:05:00.000-07:00

i have to show you this NOW. it's a new collection i've been working on - "oodley doodley christmas". what a HOOT!!!

molly-mosey via rollerblades

2009-07-08T21:29:00.000-07:00

yes, i just decided that molly can actually mosey on rollerblades. it's a gift. neither of them lasts very long. i wonder if it's all the equipment...

fun in the fountains

2009-07-08T21:21:00.001-07:00

i love summer on the purdue campus. i'm sure i've said it a million times, but it is wonderful to walk around in the warm summer evenings. one of my favorite places. the kids love running around in the fountains. a lot. we sometimes take a picnic dinner and eat on campus before turning the kids loose. tonight was the kick-off of the purdue summer concert series. free concerts on campus (weekly through july). we ate our pb&j, did the fountains, then headed to the front lawn of the memorial union and set up our blanket and lawn chairs. the kids were a little restless, but i know it's a memory they will hold forever... of a fun, fabulous evening!

logos on the brain

2009-06-30T12:17:00.000-07:00

so, why is it that i can whip out logo proofs in a whammo when it's for a client, but when it comes to getting ME all down in a 2x2 inch square, i'm completely blank. maybe that's it - i'm still a blank canvas. i'm sure there's a profundity in there...

but just in case you're wondering, that's what i'm working on at the moment...

molly & the t-ball adventure

2009-06-27T06:25:00.000-07:00

i absolutely adore watching t-ball games. there isn't much out there with funny-potential. kids running the wrong way after hitting the ball, kids watching the ball shoot between their legs as they try to field it... some of my favorites are molly-nesses. during one game, she was playing short-stop. she was doing such a great job of paying attention to what was going on, and had made a couple really great plays. then, as a kid HIT the ball - RIGHT toward molly, she suddenly saw something in the dirt at her feet. it was like some kind of compulsion and watching all of that process go across her face was classic molly. one minute she's playing the game of her life, the next minute (as the ball sails past her) she's crouched down, writing her name in the dirt. seriously classic. these pages feature the new hallie page kit in the store now! :)

::mine::

2009-06-23T21:42:00.000-07:00

i had to share this scrapbook page i made at the speed scrap at dsp tonight. what a HOOT. i haven't done an extraction in ages..... but there've been many cute ones popping up all over in galleries, so yeah, lemming jumped off cliff. ;)

happy father's day!

2009-06-21T19:28:00.000-07:00

we enjoyed a very laid-back father's day today. we all slept in (a miracle), then just really hung around before heading to the pool for a couple hours. we stopped at mimi and papa's to give papa his father's day gift and hugs, then we set up the slip and slide for even more entertainment. after dinner, we created tie-dyed t-shirts together - a fun family experiment... we'll have to await the results until the shirts are soaked, then washed tomorrow. of course i'll keep you posted. in the meantime, here're a few highlights of the process...

courage of your lungs

2009-06-18T06:18:00.000-07:00

i love this quote from jesse owens:

"You could go in any direction, fast or slow as you wanted, seeking out new sights just on the strength of your own feet and the courage of your lungs." Jesse Owens, Winner of 4 Olympic Gold Medals

i love the idea of the courage of your lungs. i have noticed, and i'm sure i'm not the only one, that it's not my legs that give first; my lungs limit me more than anything else. and the only way i know to make my lungs braver is to keep going - a little further each time.

no, i'm not going to get all flowery and try to apply this to life in general. you can do that in your own head. i'll ponder it in my own - on the road.

maggie's softball fun

2009-06-17T10:56:00.000-07:00

maggie has rocked the softball diamond (is it a diamond in softball?) this season! she has worked hard - on catching, throwing, hitting, and cheering. :) and i really think she has enjoyed herself. she has such a genuinely heart-warming, joyful smile while she's playing. what more could a mom ever want?! here's a very quick layout i made with some of the pictures i snapped at her last game. i had a BLAST at a dsp speed scrap - a layout done in an hour while chatting with dsp crew! totally fun - and you have to come do it next tuesday at 9pm est in the dsp chat room (links in a jiff).

the papers are a part of a kit-in-progress. details as they finish! :)

and go, kes!

2009-06-15T18:24:00.000-07:00

maggie has had a fantastic softball season. she played her best game EVER tonight, and i was lucky to get a few pictures. :)

go, reds!

2009-06-15T18:04:00.000-07:00

sam has just started getting into team sports paraphernalia. huh; i just had to look up the spelling on that word because it just didn't look right. guess what - it also means "brides' stuff". weirdness! anyway, sam has just really started being interested in teams. he's got a couple team shirts, but his daddy just bought him a red's baseball cap (and one for daddy, too), and sam has been wearing that hat nonstop. he just about caused apoplexy when he came downstairs dressed in said red's cap with his #25 cubs shirt. it's testament to bill's love for his son that he did not truly force sam to change before going out in public. he wanted to do so. but he resisted, and just strongly suggested that the two teams should not mix...

and suckers

2009-06-11T21:18:00.000-07:00

charlie is seriously a one-man wrecking crew. we call him the "swath of destruction. today he found a big, giant lollipop one of the girls got someplace. i turned my back for 10 seconds and he was a sticky, icky mess.

seeeeckles

2009-06-11T21:15:00.001-07:00

that's what charlie calls them. and he must have several per day. good heavens, the kid is going to turn into a stick of frozen fruit syrup.

a bit behind!

2009-06-11T21:11:00.000-07:00

of course... but here are some quick glimpses into a fairly regular summer thing. fun outside with the neighbors. are we lucky? yep.

summer - day 9?

2009-06-06T09:03:00.001-07:00

i've completely lost track... wanted to record tidbits from each day this summer, but i'm sure i'm off already... we're busy with softball right now - it is so fun. the girls are both really really improving - in fact, i've said that maggie gets it more than i do now. which isn't really saying a lot, but it's way cool to watch them learn.

the weather has been amazing this week. just absolutely beautiful. more in a jiff; we're off to a softball game now. happy saturday!

summer - day 7-8!

2009-06-04T07:32:00.001-07:00

sam and charlie each have a chin sister as a best friend. they adore their next door neighbors - and believe completely that the world will end if they don't get to play with the girls each day. from the mom-perspective, this is actually a fabulous problem to have. those two girls, and their big brother, are just darling, sweet, fun, smart, and everything a friend should be. last night, the boys took over the chinmobile - the fun kid-jeep. they were so cute that i had to run for the camera... meanwhile, maggie has been working so hard on her softball skills. she is a GREAT hitter! and i can't believe how well she does with all of it. even understanding the rules and strategy. she has even been interested in watching softball on tv - she has spent a couple evenings watching and talking about the game with her dad. i honestly think she gets it better than i do!

vacation - what day is it?

2009-06-04T07:12:00.000-07:00

i've completely lost track of days. already. gosh - the girls have been out of school for one week! i'm proud of our week. our routine... it sure isn't easy to turn that tv off and enforce a structure. morning work, like beds made, rooms picked up, and chores like that. activities each day - actually planned activities and goals. library, park, friends... projects each day, like scrubbing baseboards, organizing laundry room... softball games in the evenings... quiet time each day with reading... chasing the toddler around and getting him on the potty before he pees on the floor (again). people tell me that this craziness will pass - things will settle down and the kids will grow into people who don't require constant constantness. i know this, but can't imagine it. for now, it's a hazy, fast-motion-blur of demands that i can't quite seem to perfect.

and yes, i do realize that noone is supposed to perfect this chaos. the fact that i still try (and get bummed when i fail) makes me feel even worthlesser. i can't even get being imperfect down perfectly. sheesh.

okay. poor-suz-moment is over. on to laundry!

as promised...

2009-06-02T07:43:00.000-07:00

here is a freebie set of blogwear for you! you can easily customize the look of your blog, following the awesome how-to from the fabulous nicole. her tutorial is here.

yeay, me!

2009-06-01T22:24:00.000-07:00

oh, i snazzed up my blog! what fun! i used pieces from my lisa's gift collection, as well as my smudge it up stamp set, and the "simply" title from my simply swirly add-on (i think - it's 1:26 am and i'm a little foggy. stay tuned if you like it; i think i'll make it into a freebie for you. i just now noticed that i've been watching something about cakes for an hour... or should i say i've been NOT watching for an hour...). i'd better get myself off to bed - that a of the m comes quickly!

summer - day 6!

2009-06-01T19:00:00.001-07:00

oh, man! i have been on an absolute roll! i'm so proud of me! :) we're settling into our summer groove. mondays are our library day. well, and a meeting day for me. so, the kids get some mimi and papa time while i get a bit of serenity. then we hit the library. maggie got tales of a fourth grade nothing - i can't wait to read it with her! molly picked a fantasy novel about dragons - and i'm fired up about that one too! sam selected three star wars "fact books". that's our guy. we also signed up for the summer readers club. it absolutely cracked me up; the prize the kids got for joining the book club was a slide whistle. they gave slide whistles away in the library...

i got to sign up too. i didn't get a slide whistle, though. i selected two cookbooks - one for my swank crock pot, and the other something about fast fixes for on-the-go families. i made taco sandwiches for dinner with mixed success... and i got a mission organization book! the first room i'm going to tackle is the laundry room. this afternoon, i moved the washer and dryer out and cleaned under and behind - ick! i slid the washer and dryer down so that there's enough space for a set of cubbies behind the laundry room door. I'd love to put another shelf up high above the washer and dryer. there's one up now, above the washer and dryer, but there's still a ton of open space above. i'm thinking that adding a second shelf up higher would be a great spot for baskets with winter gloves, hats, and i'm sure i can find other tidbits that can go up out of reach when not in use. another project in there is the closet. right now it's piled - picture a cartoon picture of a person opening a closet door and sixteen tons of crap falls out on them... there're cleaning supplies, diapers, coats, mops, paint, etc, etc. i have always thought that closet would make a great pantry. i'd like to pull everything out of there and add shelves and storage stuff.

fascinating stuff, wot? tune in tomorrow for another thrilling installment of our lives...

summer - days 3-6

2009-05-31T21:10:00.000-07:00

happy days three, four and five - or something like that! summer daycation rocks... even if it's impossible to keep track of which day it is. actually, it's day 6 as i write, so i am already playing ketchup. on friday, we met friends at the park for an awesome play-date. my friend lynn and i decided, though, that we really need to go for coffee without the kids (seven between the two of us!) - no interruptions! both girls had softball games friday evening, and i can't get over how much they're progressing. i think they're better softball players than i ever was. not that that's a big stretch.

bill had meetings in indy all day saturday, so the kids and i did our morning routine, then just enjoyed. it was an absolutely beautiful day - sunny, not too humid, not too hot. the kind of summer day that i yearn for all winter. we turned off the tv at 9:30 and played outside during the morning, then went to molly's t-ball game in the afternoon. in the evening, the kids and i got to go to a neighbor's birthday party at the pool. our first pool trip of the summer! the water was freezing (broken heater in the pool - yikes), but of course that didn't stop the fish. i have a sneaking feeling that i will be frequently fishing charlie out of the pool again this year. the boy has not the slightest conceptualization of fear.

the girls have been wanting to sleep in the same room for the past couple weeks, and we let them when it's not a school night. which of course, means every night now. and let me just say, every day is a huge slumber partay in that room. i love that they're such a duo. built-in best friends. a beautiful thing.

on sunday, we went to church, then the kids played outside all day. bill had meetings again, so we puttered around the house. the girls went with the vanfossens to the pool in the afternoon, then we made shish kabobs and had a guest for dinner. maggie helped me set the table - she loves helping, and i need to remember to include her (all of them really), because ... well, dang, i don't have to do it all myself!

we've got a busy week coming up. softball three or four nights. i am trying to find healthy, edible choices for dinners that we can eat more or less on the run.

here are some pics from the pool party saturday night.

summer - day 2

2009-05-29T06:31:00.000-07:00

softball! the girls have really enjoyed playing softball and t-ball this season, and they've improved significantly! i still really enjoy the t-ball level, where the kids are more interested in the doodles they can make in the sand with their toes than in watching whether they're going to be clobbered with a ball. too stinking cute! here are some pics snapped last night before their games.

summer - day 1

2009-05-28T08:06:00.000-07:00

reflecting back... this has been probably the most difficult year of my life. i'm remembering last summer; four kids crawling/running around, throwing fits at the pool, at the grocery store, at the park, at friends' houses... at least one of the four needing something. all the time. not living my life on life's terms, but trying to make my own terms. failing miserably at said terms because they were so completely unhealthy. i don't want to do that again. i want to be a good mom. i want the kids to enjoy themselves, to relax and be kids, and still learn something new every day. and to grow into less-whiney, more obedient (ha), better people. i know that doesn't sound the way it is in my head - i want to be the mom of these four amazing, priceless people, and teach them to grow, be healthy, be happy.

quick random aside. sam just walked through the room, and for some reason laid all 3 bar stools in the kitchen on their sides. then walked back out and went down to the basement. strange.

back to me. so i'm reflecting on the past year. it was hard. the summer seemed to come to an abrupt end, and the girls went back to school. then sam went back to school, and i had charlie at home 3 mornings/week. i will skip over some stuff, and say that the autumn is now a painful blur. the winter was likewise, and perhaps even harder, as i struggled (with some pretty incredible help) to pull myself out of the abyss. spring arrived, and somewhere in there i realized that life is just life. and on life's terms, not mine. it's just a series of minutes that don't have to be perfect. that's an aha that i still learn. as the end of the school year approached, i really started reflecting and feeling grateful. so grateful that i am where i am and not where i was. i've been feeling excited and anxious to say adieu to last year, and to start a new year from a better spot.

and that brings me to yesterday. the last day of school for the girls. what a fabulous milestone. bittersweet, of course, to say goodbye to two much-loved teachers. but what growing all of them have done. maggie is amazing. such an absolutely sweet soul. she grew in every aspect... amazing. molly is a reader. wow. it's miraculous to watch a kid learn to read. and such windows that open. whole new worlds. sam is our little professor who asks all kids of mind-boggling questions, like wondering which song a hummingbird sings. charlie is one of the funniest kids i've ever met. and i'm not just saying that because i love the snot out of him. he really cracks me up.

so we're on to new things. new places, new friends, great new moments. my mom and dad always say (and i am sure they heard it from their parents and probably rolled their eyes just as i have), "today is the first day in the rest of your life." and so, amen and let's begin.

summer daycation! day 1.

2009-05-28T07:01:00.000-07:00

i have all kinds of great intentions; setting goals with the kids, having daily tasks for them, learning to play the piano with the kids, reading daily with the kids, having math homework (really?), saying goodbye to diapers after 9 years-worth of changing them... going to the pool, going to the park, going to the fountain... maggie wants to take tennis lessons (and so do i!), and molly wants to do gymnastics... it's a long list! since it's the very first morning of the very first day of summer break, we're going to start a brand new routine in the walker household! want to take bets on how long it'll last? it's 10:18 am and i've already taken away chuck-e-cheese because molly and sam threw fits about getting dressed... notice that i didn't take away something i actually don't dread doing.

so, let's set some goals... perhaps this shall be a work in progress, because i'm such a freaking perfectionist that i've actually been wanting to do this forever, but am afraid that i'll leave something out, and so i sit paralyzed, not able to get one small thing started.

1. create and maintain weekly routine/schedule, including daily tasks for the kids (make beds, pick up rooms, pick up basement, brush teeth), library, park, piano, gym pool, reading, practicing sight words with sam, and other.

2. learn to play the piano with the girls - maybe sam, too. practice 15 minutes each day.

3. swimming lessons

4. tennis lessons

5. golf lessons

6. work on sight words with sam 15 minutes each day

7. potty train charlie

8. journal/blog daily, and take at least 1 picture each day to record this glorious summer

9. go to body pump at the gym 3 times weekly, run 3 days weekly

10. run in a mini-marathon (12.something miles)

11. attend meetings regularly (i know.... probably should be at the top of the list......)

okay. that's a start (a START?!). now i'm off to seek out do-it-yourself piano teaching!

from runner's world...

2009-05-26T08:06:00.000-07:00

"The secret of getting ahead is getting started. The secret of getting started is breaking your complex overwhelming tasks into small manageable tasks, and then starting on the first one."

Mark Twain

Sweet Potato Chili Chickpea & Ginger Stew with Sour Cream

2009-05-14T05:25:00.000-07:00

could there be more unappealing things in one dish? and all in one dish! seriously, ick in a pot. then again, there's meatloaf. did you know that you can make meatloaf in a crock-pot? wow.

so, i got the most fantastic gift for mother's day. and if you'd have told me 10 years ago (or maybe even 5) that i would be over-the-moon about a crock-pot, i would have ... laughed? cried? denied? thought you were nuts? all of the above. but you should see this thing! it has a little teeny hole in the lid, and a thermometer! apparently you poke the thermometer into the hole and then into the meat, and it can tell if the food is cooked, and then it switches to warming mode! it makes me think of amniocentesis. i swear, this is the coolest thing ever! there are more program modes and buttons than i imagine in a space ship. and there's a small chance that i'm going to actually have to read the manual to fly this thing.

i've been dreaming of breaking this baby in all week and today is the first time we won't have softball, singing, stuff and more stuff! what shall we make? off to peruse foods like chickpea and ginger stew! happy thursday!

i hate hills

2009-05-08T05:43:00.000-07:00

"Many people shy away from hills. They make it easy on themselves, but that limits their improvement. The more you repeat something, the stronger you get."

JOE CATALANO

i hate hills. they hurt. even after you're on level ground again, it hurts. i'm sure there's some kind of deep metaphor there, but sometimes a quote is just a quote... happy friday, happy spring, happy mother's day weekend!

the komen race for the cure!

2009-04-21T10:53:00.000-07:00

i was so lucky to get to participate in the komen foundation indy race for the cure with some girlfriends this year. i ran - 5k! and got my best time by a whole minute! i came in in the middle of the pack - yeay, me! you can see my name in the results - if you scroll way down to about the 30 minute mark... :) but more importantly, we raised money for cancer research through the komen foundation. what an absolute inspiration it was to see so many survivors... wow. i'll remember our day for a long, long time. so many of my friends and family donated to the event for me - thank you so much. seriously - i can't say it enough.

i made a page kit to show off some pictures from the day - and for my friend sherry to use for a mother's day gift to her mom. sherry's mom is a breast cancer survivor, so the whole event had such a great personal feel. i'm excited to donate a portion of my part of the sales of my new page kit, "the power of dreams" to the komen foundation. it's such a great organization, and a vital cause. i really hope that you grab the page kit and enjoy it's awesomeness, and help me donate more $$ to the komen foundation! thanks bunches, and squeeze your ta-ta's - early detection is the best defense!

2009 Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure - More IndyStar Galleries

i did it!

2009-04-09T18:30:00.000-07:00

i am officially registered for the indy mini marathon!! wooooot! i'm so psyched. of course, i have yet to run a full 12 point-whatever miles... wish me much luck, everyone! my goal is to run the whole thing... not walk.

yes...no...yes...no...YES!

2009-04-08T20:00:00.000-07:00

i gotta tell you - i have waffled. with all the stuff going on in my life, i stopped running for a while, and resigned myself to accept that the mini would have to wait... i know i feel better when i'm running. i don't know why i slack... saying that there's too much going on in my head and heart is just not good enough, because running is an escape. so i'm just doing it. i am going to try for the mini. i have less than four weeks to train. that is not enough time to get to a distance i've never gone. i've gone 6 miles... i think i can go further. i just have to pace myself and keep moving ahead. there's a life-lesson! so, my friend and i talked this morning and i told her i'd do it. i'm so excited. i'm trying to figure out how to paste my training plan in here to put it in print and in public.....

wow - dsp birthday bash was awesome!

2009-04-05T16:12:00.000-07:00

i still can't get over the fact that dsp has been alive for five years... i can so vividly remember being in an msn chat with margie and amanda while peeing on a stick! running back into the room with the computer (yes, hooked to a dial-up modem!), typing in OMGGGGGGGGGG IT'S POSITIVE!!!!!!!! they knew at the same time sam's dad knew... i sobbed over the keyboard wondering how in the world i'd do it all... sam came along several months later! cracks me up every time! remember that, girls? anyway... spent the evening in the dsp birthday chat, enjoying the fellowship and energy!! great shot in the arm!

here's to another five times five hundred years!

april showers...

2009-04-05T12:52:00.001-07:00

...big changes in april here; sorry to be scarce. much going on at home, but it's all okay. so many of you have sent me such sweet notes. thank you. more than you can know! i've printed every single one, and have a pick-me-up binder nearby! i promise to keep you updated as much as i can. the kids are great, and i'm doing well. so, designing is climbing back over into the front seat again, and i'm really anxious to get back in the swing! so, watch out... a new goodie coming sooooooooon!

loooove this new kit!

2009-03-11T06:56:00.000-07:00

Wanted to share this with you - Simply Swirly. SOOOO many freestyley and white-spacey possibilities!

Quote from Runner's World

2009-03-04T05:41:00.001-08:00

I get a "daily kick in the butt" from Runner's World, and today there was an AWESOME quote that I wanted to write down...

"I ran to be free; I ran to avoid pain; I ran to feel pain; I ran out of love and hate and anger and joy." DAGNY SCOTT

KISS feature is Fickle Pickle

2009-03-02T07:29:00.000-08:00

HURRY! You have until midnight EST tonight to finish up your Fickle Pickle layout and win the Add-On Pack free! :) You can find all the info in our KISS Forum!

Suzi OOOHHHHS...

2009-03-02T07:22:00.001-08:00

Oh, I can't resist! There was a very funny inside joke about rodents in our KISS forum.... and check out the darling little page made by the incredible mcbowersox!

You can find the Magical Moments kit and the add-on in the store. This week our feature is Fickle Pickle, and see how you can win the Add-On Pack free (until midnight! hurry!) in our Kiss Forum

Suzi OOOHHHHS...

2009-02-20T05:00:00.001-08:00

Here is a freaking AWESOME layout with my Magical Moments page kit, from tiff_gerber! She rocks! These layouts are incredible! There's a Page Kit, an Add-On Pack, and an Instant Album in the collection. I really love this stuff!

Check out the KISS gallery for more awesome layouts, and the KISS forum for info on how to get the Add-On Pack FREE!

The Komen Foundation Race for the Cure

2009-02-19T12:03:00.000-08:00

I'm so psyched, guys! I just registered to run in a 5K race on April 18 to raise money for the Komen Foundation... Just the BEST charity organization out there! :) Check out my page for more info on how to donate (if you have extra $)!

Suzi OOOHHHHS...

2009-02-19T11:22:00.000-08:00

WOW! I have to OOOH on this page from Jennifer G!! Holy SMOKES, awesome pages with the Khaki Casual schtuff!!!

Suzi OOOHHHHS...

2009-02-15T11:01:00.000-08:00

WOW! Such fabulous layouts with my Khaki Casual page kit - I looooooove this one by mcbowersox! You can see more fantastic layouts in the KISS gallery, and find out how to get the Add-On Pack FREE in our forum!

Slumber Party

2009-02-15T07:52:00.000-08:00

Well, the girls are all gone, the house is demolished (well, not really, really demolished, but sufficiently demolished that I just can't face trying to put it back together right now...), and the kids are vegging in front of the tv. I don't know how much they actually slept, but at 11pm, they were still going strong... They had a blast, though. We've never done a slumber party before, and it was fun. I'm exhausted, but it really was fun. Maggie invited 3 friends over, and graciously allowed Molly to participate in the festivities. We had pizza and decorated picture frames, then the girls got into their favor-jammies ($3 clearance jammies from Walmart! YEAH!). After cake, ice cream, gifts, and more fun, the girls watched a movie with popcorn, then settled down (sort of) for the night in the basement in their sleeping bags. There was much, much giggling, and everyone seemed to really enjoy themselves. This morning, we had donuts, then the girls played some more until their parents came to pick them up. I can't believe that we have to turn around and do this again in two weeks for Molly's birthday. And Charlie is still walking around singing, "happy birthday" to anyone who will listen.

fickle pickle is the page kit I made to show these off... will be in the store very soon... :)

Suzi OOOHHHHS...

2009-02-13T04:42:00.000-08:00

I love going through the DSP gallery. WOW, the artists!! Seriously, I say, "OOOOOOOHHHH," and, "AAAAAAAAAHHHHH" regularly! I wanted to share some of the ooohs. Here's one for today. It's by Jeanet, who regularly makes me go, "OHHHHH!". Thanks so much, Jeanet! She used the Grey Day page kit, and sure did it proud...

One mile down...

2009-02-12T17:53:00.000-08:00

Well, I got on the treadmill after BodyPump this morning, and made it a mile! Yeay, me. Yikes, though, I need to be up to at least 2 by next week - I made a training plan and "officially" begin it next Monday... :)

I am OFFICIALLY...

2009-02-11T12:09:00.000-08:00

... GOING TO RUN THE MINI MARATHON IN MAY. I decided this morning in the shower. I've not been running at all since early November. But I'm putting it right out here in public so that I go get back on that treadmill. TONIGHT. That's my goal!!! I just really need to get back in the groove. I feel SO great about myself when I'm running, and feel so great in general! Why have I NOT been running??? I'm just a dork, and it's easy to get out of the habit (and let other habits take over). I did injure my IT band training for the 10K, but could have gotten back out there much sooner than I have. I should (no shoulds, here, right?) have gotten back out in January...

I absolutely love coming in from a workout and entering my run (or class, or whatever) in my training log. It feels SO great. So. I'm grabbing hold of that feeling, and promising myself (and the public in general!) that I WILL find my groove. I WILLL!

Okay, I swear, just ONE MORE toothless-Molly ...

2009-02-10T10:52:00.001-08:00

I can't help myself - I have to put this one up... She is too stinking cute for her own good... I used my Magical Moments Page Kit...

Journey.....

2009-02-07T17:08:00.000-08:00

How do I write a resume after something like 15 years? Does Stay-At-Home-Mommy count? There's a likelihood that I will re-join the work world after having been at home with my kids since pretty much 1999. YIKES. So, that's what I'm thinking about on this Saturday night. Heavy thoughts! And the big big bummer is that I have no clue where my "old" resume is. On a dusty 3.5 inch floppy disk in a box in the basement.

the adorable, toothless molly grace...

2009-01-28T12:03:00.000-08:00

i have to share this - miss molly grace, aka gracey-loo, lucy, the-b-kid, crazymissmolly, ad infinitum, lost her front teeth recently. the story is a great one, and i'm sure i've put it down someplace... but she looks soooooo cute! check her out...

We love monkey bread!

2009-01-28T10:42:00.000-08:00

Another snow day! Man, this is happiness... Sleep until ... well, until 7:45, which is late for our house, then wear jammies all day! Moments captured like snuggles in the big chair with the DS and juice... Does it get better? Forts with every blanket, pillow, and soft thing in the house, and Spongebob on the tv... For a few minutes, anyway... So, we tried to figure out what to have for breakfast this morning, after the three frozen waffles were clearly not enough to feed 4 hungry children, and Sam suggested that we make monkey bread! Well, he's been suggesting it for days now, actually - the kid loves making monkey bread. But we didn't have the crescent roll dough that we usually use. Major bummer here. Then I had this epiphany... What is monkey bread? Well, dough! I can make bisquick dough with the best of them! So, we whipped up a batch of the goey stuff (the kids thought it was gross), and made our own monkey bread! Happy, happy children here...

I love snow days!

Remember...

2009-01-24T17:56:00.000-08:00

So, you all know about the stress in my life in the past 6 months or so... I've been really struggling with how to talk to my kids about things I never would have thought I'd have to talk with them about. Things many kids don't have to go through. And struggling with guilt about putting them through stress and pain. What parent would wish that for their kid? Since you know me, you know that my kids are my world. No exaggeration. Seeing them hurt kills me. I snapped this picture of my girls just after Christmas, and it was actually a really, really funny moment - I didn't realize that the expression on Maggie's face really reflects a sense of sadness...... Until I saw it on the big screen. And the way she's clinging to her sister breaks my heart. I wish she felt like the strong, wonderful person she is. I wish she didn't have to cling to anyone or anything; I wish she didn't feel hurt... It caught me un-prepared and I spent a long time just sitting with the pain. It inspired my new kit, Grey Day. I wish I could take the grey skies away, wish I could fast forward through the pain, anger, loss, fear... And I believe that things will get better. I intentionally am not sharing the journaling, because it's pretty intensely personal. Thanks for sharing the journey, though, and know that you're all carrying me through this. Love you guys.

'Cause I said so!

2009-01-23T07:38:00.000-08:00

This is Charlie's newest phrase. Where on earth he's heard it (at least a million times), I have no idea...

"Charlie, get off of the table."

"Why??"

"Because I said so."

Oh. Well, I suppose I do have an idea of where he might have heard that phrase.

"Charlie, don't mark with permanent marker on the wall."

"Whyyyy?"

"Because I said so."

Golly. This kid is a BOY. I really must confess that I like his other new phrase, "Mommy, I **LIKE** it," much better.

Another day in the life...

2009-01-20T06:32:00.000-08:00

Wow. What a difference a few hours make. What a great few days with the kids! We had SUCH fun at the pool - I'm sure those memories will last a long, long time... Last night, I was making dinner (my mom's lasagna - yum!), and the boys were running around like banshees in the kitchen. I happened to look over (from the stove and sizzling hamburger), and here's what I saw. Yes, the camera was still out on the counter after the dancing on the table episode (that is a whole other post, I think).

Happy Tuesday, everyone! Happy Inauguration Day!! I'm off to run errands before gluing myself to the tv to witness history!

Snow Day 6?

2009-01-17T13:50:00.000-08:00

Holy schniekies! So, we had I think 2 days of school cancelled last week due to cold and snow, and Martin Luther King, Jr's birthday will be celebrated Monday. That makes for one long weekend! It feels like Christmas Break revisited! The kids are going stir crazy, especially since it's record-setting cold, and even venturing outside is not an option...

Sam spent the night with Mimi and Papa last night, and Maggie had a sleep over birthday party at a friend's house, so we had just Charlie and Molly! When we got motivated, we grabbed Sam from Mimi and Papa's, traded him for Charlie, and went to the pool! It was great! Seriously - I need to do it more with the kids when they get cabin fever. I had a great time too! Here're some quick snapshots.

Now I'm trying to figure out what to make for dinner... I'm thinking leftovers and plain pasta with butter and parmesan cheese, which is their favorite thing in the world. Happy Saturday, all!

Snow Day 2!

2009-01-15T14:02:00.001-08:00

And I'm still sane! The kids are happily building forts in the basement (no, I have not been down to witness the devastation...). A neighbor has been over, and they've all really played well. Bill is home this afternoon, not feeling well. That's lot's of fun. And it's literally the coldest it has been this century (according to my mom).

It is 5:04 pm. What are we having for dinner? How about leftover Mac & Cheese, and perhaps a salad?!

I actually just got on to say that it has been a GREAT day. We had a snafu with a couples' therapy appointment cancelled because of bad weather (and they didn't call! imagine - they call to remind me to GO to the appointment, but not to NOT GO)... And another snafu with a babysitter (Patty and I totally miscommunicated the time), but through it all, and into this evening, I really stayed serene. Wow. How did THAT happen? God, keep it comin, will you?!

What a difference 4 months can make...

2009-01-14T06:23:00.001-08:00

It's snowing - the giant, silent flakes that make you want to turn on the fireplace and snuggle with a cup of coffee and I was talking to a friend a while ago, and she commented on a blog post I'd made - probably last year? I was bemoaning the two-hour delay, saying that things were so crazy that by ten a.m I needed a glass of wine. Or four... YIKES! This year is so different, and I've been thinking about that conversation, that day of the crazy two-hour delay, and feeling so grateful for being in THIS spot instead of THAT spot. Yeah, there are a lot of kids running wild, but they're having fun (playing school), and I'm listening in on their play, and instead of feeling like I'm tied up in knots, I'm feeling just GRATEFUL for all of it.

So, I have to share a few tidbits... Last night at about 11pm, I'm reading in bed (Harry Potter - again; great pre-sleep-wind-down), and Molly comes stumbling in. With no pants on. She is clearly not 100% awake. She shuffles in, and I ask, "Molly, where are your pants?" She replies in a mumble, "I have NO idea, Mom, they've just disappeared." Then she walks into my closet. I am laughing so hard at this point, that I can barely jump out of bed to be sure she doesn't pee in the laundry bin. I say, "Molly? The bathroom is in HERE," and I guide her into the bathroom. She pees, looking up at me all bemused (still not awake, and I'm still giggling), and I say, let's go find your pants. She replies, "No, Mom, the tooth fairy needed them." GOLLY, the kid cracks me UP! The pants were jumbled up in the bottom of her bed. I'm guessing she needed to pee, woke up, kicked off her pants, then forgot what she was doing.... This morning, she asked me, "Mom? Who put me in these pants?" (I'd changed her pants, not really knowing for sure whether they were clean), so I told her the story of her 11pm escapade. She said, "THE TOOTH FAIRY NEEDED MY PANTS? What was I THINKING?" Oh, this child...

Maggie is reading a 5th grade-level book for a book report. Wow! Oh, by the way, both girls got straight-A's on their report cards. Well, Maggie got a B+ in spelling. But that doesn't count, right? I mean, hello? Spell check...? Anyway, the kid is such a Mini-Me that it's scary. I think the only way she's really NOT like me is her predilection for organizing. I walked into her room this morning after hearing her bump around well past the time she should have been awake last night, and I see notes taped to each of her drawers cataloging the contents of each drawer. "Underpants: 2 white, 4 pink, 6 pattern..." and so on. I look in the drawer, and the underpants are all neatly folded in stacks according to color, pattern, day of the week... MY underpants drawer is a complete briar patch of panties, socks with no possible match (the dryer monster, you know), and the odd hair clip and jolly rancher...

They call Sam, "The Professor" at school. His teachers told me that they never worry about getting a sub if they can't be there any more, because they figure that Sam can teach the class by himself. It's true. The kid's a freakin' genius. I'm trying to think of a recent story with Sam... Well, he loves Lego Starwars on the wii. He keeps asking me which character I want him to be; they he'll say, "Oh. I want to be Jar Jar. He can jump the highest, and he has a needle." Hahahahaa - a needle. Okay, so that's not really mensa material. I'll have to come up with something from today to tell you about.

Charlie thinks that chocolate chip cookies make great breakfast food. And that "I like to eat, eat, eat... apples and bananas" is a top forty hit that should be sung repeatedly. Along with "Happy birthday, CHA CHA CHA!"

Okay, I know I petered out at the end here, but the boys have built a fort in the family room, and the girls have since been shuttled to the bus stop, so it's time for the mom to get some work done... Happy Wednesday!

Tuesday Teaser! 1/13/08!

2009-01-13T06:18:00.000-08:00

Happy Tuesday! I have been trying (unsuccessfully for SURE until now) to figure out how all these awesome artists make their blogs look so darned cool! Thank you thank you to Nicole, who fought with it for days and figured it out, THEN made a tutorial! Shout out to Nic, she is one awesome artist!!! :) So, for this Tuesday teaser, you can have this blog background I made for myself from my Somethin Somethin collection (the Somethin Somethin Page Kit is on sale at DSP for $.99 this week!)! ;) Snag it here!

THEN!!! Go read Nicole's tutorial - I could try for years to explain, but I don't even really understand..... So, let's let Nic explain it for me! If I garble the link, look for Tuesday, December 30, 2008.

Let me know what you think, and check back soon! Also, be sure to check out the KISS challenge, beginning today at DSP!

Happy Monday!

2009-01-12T07:51:00.001-08:00

So, who's got New Year's Resolutions?? Who's ditching their resolutions of 12 days? :) I need a start-over token on my running, please... I've been doing my Body Pump at the gym, but just can't seem to force myself onto the treadmill. I seriously feel like Jabba the Hut. So. Tomorrow! I'm there, man. I'm even washing my running shoes as we type! Today, I hopped on to show you my new page kit. Funky Flutterby! And my DARLING nephew and brother. ;) Thanks, Jeffy! Watch for the Funky Flutterby Instant Album, cause it's so cute, I just can't make only one page!

Happy Thursday

2009-01-08T19:37:00.000-08:00

Haven't checked in for a few days. And I'm sitting with my hands poised over the keys wondering what to say! Ack! I'm good. Life's good. The kids are good. Molly has been fighting a sore throat. In fact, the nurse sent a note home saying that her tonsils look very swollen. Yikes - they DO! I looked in her mouth, had her say, "aaaahhhh," and said, "OUCH!" The poor thing. I had my tonsils removed when I was exactly her age... I tried to get her into a doctor today, but the wait was two hours. Our beloved pediatrician moved about two months ago, and we haven't settled on a new one yet. Anyway, long story short... Poor thing! Gave her doses of ibuprofen and am hoping she feels better. I hope to get her into a doctor tomorrow.

I do have a funny Molly story. Two nights ago at dinner, we all got the giggles. I can't even remember how it started. But all of a sudden, I look over, and Molly is laughing that silent-oh-my-sides-hurt-and-i-can't-breathe laugh. Then I see chocolate milk SPEW out of her nose! I LOST it. I can't remember when I've laughed that hard. It was SO funny. Molly would be the one I'd vote most likely to spew milk out her nose......

On a design note.. I just finished my newest kit, and you're going to LOVE it. I sure do! Can't wait for you all to see it!

Pumpkin Patch 2008

2009-01-07T05:38:00.001-08:00

One of my favorite things is an autumn pumpkin patch. Somehow the light is always just perfect, and it makes the images magical. This year, I took the kids to a pumpkin patch with our friend Kathie, and they had a ball running around the hay-maze (not quite as intimidating as the corn maze in which we actually got LOST!). Charlie got his foot stuck in a pumpkin bin, and aside from that crisis, everyone had a ball.

And then I took a quick walk down memory lane with just a couple layouts from past pumpkin patch trip pictures... Look how little the kids are!

Tuesday Teasers

2009-01-07T04:24:00.000-08:00

So, one of my best girlfriends sent an email yesterday to tell us what she's been up to. She called it "Tuesday Teasers". And I loved the name so much! I often have little tidbits that didn't make it into whatever kit or project I was working on, so I had been trying to figure out a way to give them away, and I think I've got it: Tuesday Teasers (thanks, Consey, for the name!)!!

Here's your first Tuesday Teaser... Let me know how you like it, and check back next Tuesday! :) Enjoy!

Looking Back...

2009-01-05T20:19:00.000-08:00

I haven't shared the photos I took during our trip to St. Louis last October, and I figured that this would be a fabulous time to do so... It was a very nice, relaxing 3 days without the kids; I got to walk around with my camera! Without having to juggle Charlie, placate Sam, get Molly to stop mosey-ing, and keep up with Maggie... :)

Bill and I enjoyed the Zoo, Botanical Gardens, Arch Museum, and yummy Italian food.

DOGGONE! My Blog Got Gone!

2009-01-03T18:44:00.000-08:00

Somehow I've deleted my whole flim-flacking blog! How did I do that? I know just enough to be dangerous, I suppose. So, now I have to start back at square (or post) one. Doggone! I think I had entries going back YEARS! I suppose it's an okay thing, since it's a new year and I can start fresh... Right?

2009. Wow. Seems like it was seriously just yesterday that I was trying to navigate through a foreign thing called "email." I was a grad student in Counseling Psychology in 1998, and I can remember the black screen with text-only, "electronic letters" passed from one computer to another; ZAP, like magic. Learning curve after learning curve later, I had a baby, got a digital camera, had another baby, and started paper scrapping. I finished a whole album of Maggie's first two years (my only completed album to this day!).

My Gramps died in 2002, and I spent hours on the computer scanning in old photographs of he and my Gram, and re-living our family history. What a catharsis during a horrible time of grief. I still miss them every day. And I still have the photographs on my computer (several computers later, even) that scroll through on my screensaver, sandwiched between soccer pictures, RingPop debacles, and pumpkin patch memories. Then, a scrapping acquaintance told me about this website ("Website? What is THAT?"); I stumbled across a woman on 2 peas in a bucket who was doing groundbreaking and breathtaking ART with her computer and photographs. I opened the graphics (can we call it "graphics?") software that came with my scanner, and spent hours immersed in creating what I called PhotoArt. I met several other women online who were obsessed with the same thing, and enjoyed tremendously this fellowship of fabulous women.

I had several digital layouts published in Creating Keepsakes, Simple Scrapbooks, and Better Homes and Gardens. I still wasn't ready to call myself a digital scrapbooker, though, and clung to the idea of blending photography and art on the computer. I was offered a prestigious designer spot at the only digital scrapbooking website at the time, and got such a tremendous kick out of being on the cutting edge of such an engaging and limitless art.

In 2003, I was honored to be included in a team of amazing women who were planning to launch a new website, The Digital Scrapbook Place. The Digital Scrapbook Place debuted in 2004, and quickly grew into the largest online community of digital scrappers. I wish I could describe the energy, vision, humor, and evolution I've enjoyed at DSP. I can't imagine my life without the women on the team, or the opportunity to continuously challenge myself to innovate my art. Talk about learning curve after learning curve!

Two more beautiful babies (4 kids, who'd have thought?!), and 4 DSP birthdays brings us to today. I can honestly say that I don't know what 2009 holds, but I do know that I am immeasurably blessed to be able to keep creating, learning, growing as a digital scrapper and designer; an artist. This will be a year of change and growth on a personal level, as well as artistically. I pray that I can hang on, because it's sure to be a wild ride.