colour challenge #16

okay, so I'm playing this week - 'cause I LOVE these colours together. at the beginning of this SU! year [last july] I was very unsure of sky blue. now I am going to be sad when it's gone! [click on the above picture to take you to kristina's blog...the blog of all good things!

and here is my card [now keep in mind that my camera is being odd - as in not transfering pictures! and I used the ol' scanner!]:

conversations with almost-five-year-olds

"mommy, I wish we had a well"
"a well? is that what you said?"
"yeah, a well"
"why?"
"so I could wish for a skateboard"

that really was the conversation. and this whole honey-bear-feather challenge on big brother SUCKS [or at least it would if it was me doing it!]

AND, I survived bootcamp tonight. BRUTAL! I am going to be sore tomorrow...least I know I worked hard!

new, new, new!

was out & about today...picked up a few things:

1. new glasses [and another year's supply on my contacts...thank God for good vision benefits]. my old glasses had the wrong prescription in them [they were 2 years old] and I was wearing my contacts a bit too much. I'll see if I can manage a picture of me with them on [it's been a rough hair day, so the picture may have to wait until tomorrow].

2. a new filter & bag for the shop-vac. yeah, it just wasn't sucking like it should. now it sucks big time and john is vacuuming the basement as I type! oh, and I paid for a third of the $30 cost with canadian tire money. it's all good!

3. a new blank notebook/journal/sketch book. it didn't cost much, but I thought I needed a book for SLC - when I travel, I like to have a place for all my information and maps [since customs always asks for detailed info!!]. this should do the trick!

4. a grande light caramel frappichino. at a mere 160 calories, a nice summer treat!

5. pizza sauce. I had purchased a frozen homemade pizza crust at the market this weekend [yeah, I know, I could have made it myself...but I'm just plain lazy!] and decided to make it tonight. I piled it on with all sorts of veggies, topped it with skim-milk mozza and YUMM-O! a healthy-ish version of one of my favorite meals!

6. a-not-so-new-but-now-looked-at-closely garden distaster. seriously, what was I thinking???? I will add these pics, mainly because I don't even know what is wrong, let alone how to fix it! this first pic would be the snow peas...they lean to the left for some strange reason. the second is of my pumpkin plants - something/someone is eating them, or infecting them...I WISH I KNEW HOW TO HELP THEM!!! I am very tempted to call stan thompson's radio show on sunday morning to figure it all out!

bloom

the boys slept in this morning. I actually had opportunity to run to second cup & cobs to pick up coffee and cinnamon buns with the boys not even realizing that I was gone!

this morning I am going to take them to the market [after I dye my hair...'cause I am feeling old!], as is our usual saturday morning routine. it is suppose to be a beautiful day and I would love to be outdoors, since yesterday I hunkered down and cleaned up my stamp room. after my lovely conversation with the ups guy ["oh, mrs. fraser, nice to see you again" - he only sees me in the summer...the rest of the year he leaves boxes on my step!], I opened my pre-order of new SU! stuff and promised myself that if I cleaned my whole stamp room, I would play. alas, it worked! I cleaned. I played. I am slowly making my way through the house!

I actually wanted to pop on here becuase through some blog-surfing, I found this site and it is now bookmarked: lisa I originally went to it because of the BEAUTIFUL jewlery, but then I was captured by her story. in combination with other things I have been thinking about, I am formulating a plan for next school year. I am very scattered about it right now, and when I can really get my act together, I will share. but it has to do with hope, perserverence and resiliancy. anyways, enjoy her blog if you make it over there!

pages & challenges

okay, so I've done a bit of scrapping lately...one for my calendar & one for this challenge:



let's NOT talk about how this challenge is over a week old and it's taking me until NOW to get things posted! [click on the pic to take you to kristina's blog for THIS week's challenge!]...I love the american crafts "thickers"...that's what I used to do nate's name. the rest of the page is SU! [do I dare hope that SU! puts thickers or the like in the new catty??? mmmmm!]



and then this other, random-ish/non-stampin' up one! I've had the paper forever, and the glittery letters are from michaels. the tag is mainly SU! [hodgepodge, arrow punch, brad]. I am liking how the new camera took these pictures - they are mainly the same colour as the picture shows!!

things I like, things I don't like

okay, so my computer decided to be stupid this morning...or maybe it's just blogger, either way, I'm re-typing!

okay, so on the morning of the boys party, some coffee mysteriously spilled on my camera. as a result, it would take pictures [still does!] but the pictures won't transfer off the memory card onto the computer because the "ok" button is crusted with dry coffee. so I decided to get a new camera...a cheap-o olympus thing. not too sure if I am loving yet [because nothing will ever be as good as the old one!] and there are a bunch of settings that really seem to make a difference in the quality of picture. regardless...I have 14 days to try it out and if I really don't like it, I can return it.

I had a pretty good birthday on wednesday. I'm not really liking the fact that I am 36, but I am liking the gift john & the boys gave me [I just need to put some pictures in it!]. I also got some earrings and another charm/thingy for my necklace! john also picked up a cake for me...turtle cheesecake...mmmmm!


I also got to spend the day with my mom. we went to ikea, then for lunch, then some other shoppping. a really nice day...until I got home. and decided to build the bunkbed I had bought for the boys. yeah. good idea, cor. LOL oh well, it's built. the kids love it. after all that was done, sarah watched the boys and john & I went and grabbed some sandwiches from jeffery's. a good day.

okay, blogger/mozilla/my computer - DRIVING ME NUTS!!!!

on another note, I've been cleaning! now, really, I don't like cleaning. yeah, not my favorite activity at all. however, I do love to purge. hehehe! my clothes got the brunt of that last night. I now have a nicely colour-coded closet, once again! part of this is because I've been setting up a bit of a guest room downstairs, now that steph has moved out. regardless, lots of up and down the stairs, lovely considering the state of my quads [have I mentioned boot camp from tuesday night? lovely!].

okay, I'm quitting. new post to try again with...other [stamping] things!

it's the big night

yes. tonight I begin the dreaded boot camp. I am a tad bit nervous - new people, new experience. but yes. if I can walk a half marathon, I can get through one hour of brutal physical craziness. I will do a weigh/measure thingy tomorrow am and then we'll see what happens in 8 weeks. I've had a great eating week [so far!] - lots of healthy, lots of portion control, treats when I can afford the calories. well, we'll see what tomorrow holds...and if I am even able to get my sorry buttola out of bed!!

life on hold

I hate calling my dr's office. on hold forever, then I got hung up on. grrr. I should be cleaning my house, but I have no motivation in that department, so here I sit on my computer fluffing my time away. good job doing nothing, cor. you rock!

a few pics to tell the stories!

holy crazy week, batman!

okay, why does time fly when your having fun? no kidding, eh?!

this first week off has been crazy [and uber hot, so keep that in mind...all of this is in 30+ degree heat!]...I'll give you the play-by-play! [I like lists, this works for me!]

monday - home with the boys...we go and pick up all the party supplies: costco, save-on, michaels. make party favours, decorate, bake a cake, watch friday night lights with john.

tuesday [aka party day] - nate wakes up at 730 or so and wants to decorate the cake...it came out pretty well, overall! the boys and I finish setting up for the party. 17 or 18 small children invade our house between the hours of 1130 and 130. hotdogs, cake, ice cream, water [as per the prior posts!]. there are also, at any given time, 10-15 adults [because my family comes to everything...and hey, if I can only have a crazy-busy house for one day, it's all good]. by 300, everyone was gone. clean up & unpackage all gifts ['cause I tell ya - if we want to save the earth, we should start by reducing the amount of stupid packaging on kids toys. STUPID!]. make dinner. do laundry. pack for the lake.

wednesday - pack up everything else for the lake. go to start the car...yeah, it's dead. grrr. THANK GOD that steph was home and able to boost me! some stops on the way [not enough stops though, since I forgot hamburger buns and wine!]. and then we're off! okay - our time at the lake was SO MUCH FUN! the boys loved being out there - swimming, tubing, jumping on the trampoline, and just getting all that fresh air!

thursday - hang out at the lake until about noon, then head back into town with the boys. okay, so at this point I needed to go to southgate to meet jenn to pick up football tickets. in my lovely little mind, I thought that taking yellowhead to the henday to 111th street would be the best. yeah. didn't realize the magnitude of the construction. holy moly. a 10 minute trip took me 30+ minutes. regardless, got the tickets and made it home. did some laundry then packed the kids back up and we took them to john's mom's house. [okay, I'm tired just thinking about thursday.] we dropped them off their for the night and met friends at the lrt station to go to the football game...GO ESKS!! we won, but we didn't get home from the game until after midnight. I am not loving the whole thursday-8 o'clock-start-schedule thingy that the esks are doing this year.

friday - head to the hospital to meet susan's wee baby [isabelle grace...a beautiful name for a very beautiful baby!!] and to have a visit with suz. then to the mall for some breakfast and to make sure that aud doesn't buy more than one bag at the coach store!! from the mall to john's mom's house to pick up the boys [they had a great night at grandma's house!!] then to my mom's to eat lunch [courtusy of BK]...AND THEN to the st albert splash park to meet up with coralee & pauline. then home, then dinner, then more fnl!!

saturday - move day for steph. the boys and I went to the city market this morning, just to get out of dodge. then for a coffee @ starbucks.

no wonder I am so sunburned and so tired. I will post pictures soon [there are a bunch on my facebook, but I'll throw some on here too! a good week, for my first week off...

and I'm thinking about signing up for a boot-camp on tuesday nights this summer...mmmmm.

happy canada day!

well, we did okay with the party! better than okay - the weather was WONDERFUL, the kids well behaved, the hot dogs were well cooked...all good. although I didn't really get to do the "hang out" thing with my friends, it really was a good, good day.

so, at 9pm on a tuesday night, I am exhausted. and thankful. and instead of sitting here whining about what I don't have, I am just going to go have a moment of thankfulness. good friends, family, food to share, water to play in. for these things I am so grateful. and on that note, I am also very thankful that susan gets to birth a baby tomorrow...[and no, not just thankful that it's her and not me!], but just glad that a new wee baby gets to make an entrance...it's always a miracle.

now, I am going to see if my husband will come and sit outside with me...

and one more thing...

to see some recent pics click HERE!

monday

yes. the first monday of summer vacation. hehehe!!
although I haven't touched the house [and BOY, does it need a good scrub down!!], the boys and I did make it to starbucks, save-on AND costco...and home in time for lunch and a wee nap for my lovely ty [who was still awake at 2am...grrr]. we got all the things we need for the party, but now I am in worry mode - which I really shouldn't be, but I kinda am. I will explain.

I feel a bit of peer pressure about the whole birthday party thing. like there is a rule book on how a kids party should go, only I didn't get a copy of the book. I have VERY limited experience with the kid/birthday thing, and this makes me a bit nervous. I think the nervousness comes from the fact that this year, we've invited strangers...their kids are not strangers to my kids [they play together 4 days a week, and some of them will be in nate's kindergarten class this year] but, some of the parents are strangers to me! EEEKKKKKKK! slight exaggeration as I think about it, I have met all invited people, they just aren't all my close friends [some are becoming good friends...HENCE the pressure!]. AND on that note, I am VERY grateful that my close friends are coming, even though "they" are birthing a baby the very next day! [you ROCK, suz!] okay, so I really have no reason to panic. no reason to worry. no reason to fret. I can throw a decent party...it doesn't need to be fancy. hotdogs, ice cream, cake, water and canada flags. it's all good. breath deep, cor. the only thing that needs to be perfect is the maple leaf on the cake...LOL

reflections

well, another school year is done. finished. wrapped up. complete. it was a very good year. and this is why I love my job - although there are insanely crazy parts, tear your hair out parts, kill a kid parts and never see my family or friends parts, I really do love my job. I love that at the end of a school year I can look back and reflect...think of areas that ROCKED and areas that I would totally change. I can think of kids that made an impact on me and kids that I know I hit home with. I can think of kids that have soared with their learning and those that made just baby steps. and how all of those things are really good things. I am so excited about next year, and that I get to do it all over again with many of the same great kids. but on the other hand, I am so glad that I get to spend my summer doing things for me: hanging out with the boys, meet new babies, travel with my friend, stamp, scrap, blog, WALK, lose 20 lbs. it's all good.

last summer, it took me until august to feel better/rested from my "maybe I need a new career" teaching year. this year, well, I got drunk with my friends last night and I have a glass of wine in my hand right now...and I think that will do the trick. this is the way it should be.

so, in honour of my feel-good-happy-school-ending, I am going to set 2 goals for this next week: drink a crap load of water [10 glasses a day] and walk every day next week. I have started tracking my eating again on sparkpeople and it felt good today. I am very disappointed with myself for letting myself gain 15lbs this past year - yeah, it's really been that much. and I know that it is only hard work that will fix this. so, I am back on the wagon and I am going to aim for 2 lbs a week...I can do this. no more excuses.

eeek!

WHAT A CRAZY MONTH!!!
where exactly did may disappear to? huh? yeah. I am a bad, bad blogger. susan, on the other hand has been a good blogger as of late! not me. alas, I have wandered back to offer some updates and show off some pictures...

really, other than work and soccer and trips to vancouver and just life in general, nothing really new has been happening. I am heading into one of the more busy months of my school year - it rates up there with september, but not quite as high as late october-early november! although I tend to put everything under the bracket of stress, really I am not feeling stressed - just really busy. the time that I do have to sit down, I am thinking about the foot of marking that has been sitting in my pretty red bag FOR TWO WEEKS! [no, really!] I also know that next three weeks are going to be nuts and I need to get my game face on...just gear up and face it head on. because once it's done, I get to breathe and do all those things around the house that are stockpiling. anyhow...some soccer pics of the boys!

happy sunday, friends and I will try to be a better blogger...soon!!!

official results!

5524 3523/3583 569/570 Female 5814 3:56:59 3:55:02 11:09 Cori Fraser
5525 3524/3583 162/168 Female 6181 3:56:58 3:55:02 11:09 Jetske Huising
5526 3525/3583 163/168 Female 5943 3:56:59 3:55:03 11:09 Joy Boldt  

don't think I want to point out that I was the second last person in my age group to finish...OR that we couldn't figure out where the finish line was [it took us 2 minutes to get there]. BUT there were 60 people who finished behind me [and 3500 who finished before me...but we won't talk about THAT either!]. and most importantly, we finished! and I am walking today. yeah me!!

under 4

well, the vancouver marathon is over, and I am back home. we walked the half in under 4 hours - longer than it took to do it the last time, but considerably better than I had suspected! considering the lack of training, I have no complaints. my legs are KILLING me [especially the calves!], but really a great weekend! there is talk of us doing the portland marathon in october - e, you up for that???? LOL

I have been delinquent on many fronts these last 2 weeks or so, now I can get back to things - like sending a certain someone a wee birthday package! off to hobble over to find a box. and head to bed, because I've been up since 5am, walked 21k & flew home. YEEHAW!!

and another version

something newish!

clarity

sometimes things happen and clarity occurs. this week has been one of those time. although the 10 metres of snow has mucked me up BIG TIME [flat tire, stuck in a snow drift], I have had a revealing week. and some decisions have been made: I am going to apply for the epsb leadership course again. I didn't get in last year, which turned out to be a very good thing, but I would like to give it another go; I really think this is something I could be good at. and john is going for a job interview tomorrow. and bottom line, it's freeing to know that really it's about taking care of those who are in the airplane not about how high I can fly.

The Way I See IT #290

"on the battlefield of ideas, winning requires moving towards the sound of the guns" this quote struck a chord with me as I was sitting in church, drinking my coffee [that's what happens when church is pretty much sponsored by starbucks]. I am in a bit of a funk - thought I was getting over the effects of the "winter funk", considerably worse this winter, for some reason - and the weather has me going stir crazy.

back to the quote - I generally hate conflict. I try not to cause it, I try to solve it, I talk myself down from it...all of those great things. not too sure if I ever want to be a winner, if I have to find the guns. it does get me thinking in a more philosophical train of thought though. good things take hard work. nothing comes easy. ever. how do we ever know peace, if we've never stepped into the fire? how do we ever recognize goodness, if all we have ever known is evil? and then what? how do you change the survival mode from "I'm just holding on for dear life" to "I am okay"? the shift in mentality is a tough one. for me, for the last 5 years, I have lived a life that puts my kids/family/career in full dependency mode. small kids need their mother. a new marriage needs a wife present [and not just to do the laundry!!]. a new teacher needs to figure it all out on a lot of levels! now that as a family we are not so new, more familiar, more grown up, perhaps I am not feeling so overwhelmed by it all. and now that I am not feeling so overwhelmed by my life, I don't know what to do with myself. I feel restless. the mentality shift hasn't keep up to my ever-changing life. this is a time where my kids need me more than ever. what a mondo-huge job. a hard job. but the job I am, above all else, called to do.

I feel like this winter, I've been a coward. a person who has just shut themselves away from life and just maintained. and in some cases, not maintained at all. and perhaps this is why the snow today has me in a tizzy. I have not been really great at anything lately. not a great friend. not a great mom. not a great wife. not a great sister. I have been terribly self-absorbed.

so, as all things are, this is going to take some hard work on my part. and it's going to start by making some things right, and making some apologies. and I am going to beat this thing that is on me and start by looking for where I need to be in battle right now. and as a friend told me this weekend - it's not how high the airplane flies, or how fast it gets there, but that it just keeps going towards it's destination [totally paraphrased from a very drunk conversation!].

the realist in me needs a plan, but I think that I need to sleep on all these thoughts and the conversations I've had this weekend. the right choices are never the easy ones. and for once, I think I may be okay with that.

[and this is what happens when you help someone drink 2 bottles of wine on a friday night, watch "the assassination of jesse james" on a saturday night and drink starbucks coffee on a sunday morning in church...God works in some pretty cool ways.]

I am such a delinquent blogger

seriously. I am in a bit of a post-spring break funk. creatively stunted. tired 24-7. eating every oreo in sight so I don't really have to deal with my lack of a life. spring break was really great - I got some stamping in there, some walking done, some cleaning finished. this past week has zapped me though. gotta love deadlines at work.

regardless, I have made a few things and taken some pics of the kids...so in lieu of the chit chat I would normally have at this point, here are the pics!!

clean space...

I cleaned up downstairs last night. new shelves, some things got moved and I actually had a clean desk for 24 hours. and then, I did kristina's colour challenge and my desk is a mess AGAIN! alas, the results were pretty good, I think! this is what happens when you have ethiopian coffee at 8:00 at night...WOOHOO!!!! yeah, good stuff. perhaps sleep will come, but I think I will stay up and watch george first...yumm-o!

so, here's my card...not a single stamp to be had, but some great paper, WONDERFUL felt flowers and some SU! bling.

a smattering of pics from this weekend...

the mug ones were taken this morning, as the boys were enjoying some chocolate milk in their new easter mugs...what posers. unlike sunday morning. couldn't get a good picture of them both just being nice & smiling to save my life. grrr!!!

little effort, great reward

so in an effort to be a better mom, the boys and I went on an adventure this morning. after the night we had last night [no one really slept for any significant length of time], my big plan was to lay low and not leave the house [then I wouldn't really need to shower, dress, put contacts in...]. but because I am working harder to set my kids up for behavioural success, I got up and fed them a decent breakfast [cheerios and milk - way better than the chocolate breakfast of yesterday!] and we decided we needed to go on an adventure. so, rubber boots on our feet, sunglasses intact, hoodies on our heads, we set out for the iga [yes, I know, it's only 4 blocks away!!]. okay, so this wasn't a big adventure, but considering it is often just easier to stay home and not meet the day, it was a "sorta" adventure! ty wore my sunglasses and found a stick in the neighbour's yard and nate wore his leg warmers and his own sunglasses! okay, so it may be 4 degrees out...but the wind is COLD! so we trek to the iga, get the few groceries we need, stop at connie's for a minute on the way back, then get into the car to finish off our adventure! the car part was part of the plan, since I knew that ty would never make it all the way to blockbuster and back [5 blocks in the opposite direction of iga!]. so, each of the boys got to pick a video and I picked up "no country for old men" since everyone I've talked to seems to rant and rave about this movie. then a short walk over to second cup for coffee, and back in the car for the 2 minute drive home!

seems fairly insignificant, rather ordinary morning, but we had a fun time and now ty is sound asleep [LOVE nap time!!]. all is well. and as I look at my dirty floor, I know that it can wait for a broom...opportunities to hang out with the kids and "look for signs of spring" [nate's words!] in the neighbourhood was definitely the better choice.

here I go again...

I have run out of blog titles!!

finally, I have two little boys that both got close to 14 hours of sleep each. and shockingly, I like them today [wonder if that's a coincidence!!]. yesterday was not my best mom day. both boys were cranky [sleep deprived and they refused to eat anything but easter treats...yeah, ty found a box of whoppers at 8am yesterday morning...that should have been a sign]. I couldn't pay ty to eat anything of substance yesterday. needless to say, not my best mom day on many, many counts. I did, however, get loads of stuff done yesterday [because I have the BEST husband in the world...he took both boys after church to his mom's house for several hours!]. groceries are bought, shower present bought [I've been invited to two showers this week - it's a BABY BOOM!! - and I was sad that I couldn't make it to tyson's party], easter treats bought, coffee was consumed and I did an hour's walk.

makes me think. while I was walking I was listing to al gordon speak on leadership and he said to list your goals/priorities for your life. then he said that above all plans that we make with our lives, that our families and kids must come first in order to experience success anywhere else. this is totally contrary to how most people view authentic leadership. there are many priorities on my list [save the world, change the world, lose weight, be the best in my profession] I need to put my kids and my family before these things. I've been struggling with meaning in my life. at the beginning of lent, I quoted the scripture "trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not, on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your path straight" [the cori version of the NLT]. and in trying to live this out the message I have heard through all of this is this: I am in the right place. so, instead of being the person who saves all the starving children in sudan, I need to be a great mom to my own children right here. I need to be a support to my kids at school. I need to get my head out of my arse and be a good friend.

so, here I begin again; well maybe not begin altogether, but I need to get my head back in the game and my feet back on the right path. and when I sit in church tomorrow morning, reflecting on the significance of the day, I will be there with a full, thankful heart.

trying something new!

I made this new video, and tried to make it just love my blog. yeah. totally didn't work! so, let's try this... CLICK HERE!

you can't always get what you want

yes, the song is cranked and ty has spatulas and a drum set made with a bucket turned over; nate has a wooden fork to play guitar on. my kids, the musicians! [oh and both are wearing eskimo jerseys!!].

the last week [or so] has been pretty hectic...totally playing catch up on all I missed in the 5 days I was vacationing. although I am looking forward to the 4 day weekend, I am looking even more forward to spring break. 5 days of NO SCHOOL. NO KIDS. just me, my house, my cleaning supplies, my garbage bags and a stack of books. all is well when I can clean & purge my house in peace! oh, and I need to strap my runners on and walk every day for the next 6 weeks. yeah. the race is in only 6 weeks. time to get my buttola in gear!!

off to sit and read. I am sure enjoying that the sun is staying out until close to 8pm.

palm springs

well, after a SUPER long day, I am safely at home! palm springs was super relaxing, and a worthwhile trip. we shopped everyday, I read 2 books, I cuddled julian, drank tons of coffee...it was all good! and although I am super tired, I feel relaxed and happy to be home. and since I took out my camera for the first time today [yeah, it sat in my suitcase the WHOLE trip], I only have a handful of pics...these are the view from the back of the house!

lots of little things

I am so thankful that I have a wee holiday coming up this next week. it's a well timed break. I drank too much last night, and paid the price this morning! I feel displaced this week and a bit out of sorts - all because I read a stupid book. okay, so the book is far from stupid, but it's thrown me off course. I am 35 years old. I shouldn't really be having this much uncertainty about my life. I usually stuff all this away and just keep living my same old boring life. don't know if I can do it this time. I read the book "what is the what" and now I am a bit obsessed with everything I can read on the sudan. I am just so unsure of what to do with it all.

on another note, the non-plan has been no-plan this week...too many treats, not enough fiber. I have made this observation though: when I don't follow the non-plan, I don't feel so hot. back to the non-plan, dude!!

teachers convention - day 1

I love teachers convention - I get to reconnect with old friends and just hang out with some really nice people. today, I got to see Rabbi Shmuley who was TOTALLY AWSOME! I wish I had more time to tell all the stories, but I need to get the kids packed up...off to our small group tonight. more convention tomorrow!!

so tired

why are short weeks always so long? mmmm.

made some cards today...nate helped me, since the one card is for his little friend! enjoy!!

one of THOSE days

one of those crazy-deadline-sit-in-meetings-roll-your-eyes kind of days. the kind of day that gets 14g of fiber and 3 treats. the rough day on the non-plan. they do exist. I am so tired of being sick, and being tired, and cleaning the house. being tired always makes me want to eat junk. I need to get some sleep, and begin again [or not begin again!] tomorrow. lots of deadlines this upcoming week, so I think I'll be at school tomorrow doing report cards...one thing out of the way!

well THAT explains it!

yup. I should have seen a doctor on friday. before the long weekend of coughing hell. I honestly thought it would go away, like colds do. today I finally admitted that this was NOT your garden-variety cold. and the doctor agreed. it's bronchitis. the kind that likes to lead to pneumonia if you're not careful. thank goodness for drugs and prescription cough medicine with codeine. I am just waiting for it to kick in so that I can sleep in my bed for the first time in 5 days. poor john is just exhausted...not as exhausted as me, mind you!

anyways, I'm on the mend. all will be well again, in the fraser household!

new things!!!!

most of these are made with the new berry bliss paper...that I LOVE!!! and the others...well a sneak peak of what is coming in the new mini! [silver hardware & die cut blossoms!!]

how I hate

being sick. I don't get sick like this super often, so when it hits, it's nasty. and somehow, with all the coughing [the dry, hacking, can't catch your breath type] I've strained my neck. grrr. and this afternoon, in the middle of class, I had a strange eye thing happen...my pupils decided not to adjust to the sunlight. crazy huge pupils, causing that sort of eye thing you get after going to the eye doctor and getting "THE" drops. just not cool. I went home early, then felt okay. this whole cold thing is just getting stupid. I am holding off taking some more meds, since I'd like to take my next dose closer to bed time...because tonight I NEED, NEED, NEED to sleep!

as far as the non-plan goes...it is going well. a good week of moderate, happy, guilt-free eating. kinda crazy how less stressed I feel about the whole thing...no more sneaking food, fueling the "last supper" mentality. it's all good.

and although I am sitting at my desk, hoping to create some lovely things with some lovely new things, I am thinking that I should be thinking about bed.

a full day

well, I weighed myself this morning...down 2lbs [I'll do my measurements tonight and NOT post them!]. I am officially on my "I-have-no-real-plan-so-don't-ask-me-about-the-plan" plan. seriously. I am calling this one the non-plan. exercise as per the usual [as in, I'm training], make sure I get 25 grams of fiber per day, drink 2-3L of water, and eat one treat per day. I will do a weigh/measure again on easter monday. there is a lot of trust I have to have with myself in order to not have a plan. trust that my body will tell me when I am hungry and full. trust that my body will get healthier, knowing it will be fed. trust that I don't have to sabotage a plan, when we're on the non-plan. I'm strange. I know. off to class tonight, were I will pay someone money to torture my muscles. life is good.

40 days of lent

lent began this week. 5 weeks until easter.

I have a theme verse for this year: 'trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not, on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your path straight". okay, so that is the cori version of the verse...the way I remember it. the new living translation says: trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. seek his will in all you do and he will direct your paths [proverbs 3:5-6]. I have been thinking a lot about how this impacts my life - how I think, live, speak, listen. and I have been thinking about it in regards to my diet/eating/food issues. I know God cares about this whole issue. so, how do I reconcile all of it? well something came to me today. I am still living my life as I was 10 years ago - a life of self-loathing, hatred, arrogance, selfishness. now, I know that I have turned away from that past life, yet I seem to wander in that desert of complaining, as did the israelites, thousands of years ago. I need to remember what I've come from, in order to get to where I am going. the where I'm going part has nothing to do with a number on a scale. I have been so obsessed with the "pseudo-goal" that I have once again neglected the true goal - my soul-health. I am still working this all out in my head...but I will keep you posted. [it's heading to a place of "in all things moderation"]. off to go walk 6.7k with my mom & joy. the training has really begun!

a mug of happiness

sometimes some peppermint schnapps, hot chocolate & whipped cream can make me happy! the kids have a drink too, just no schnapps...

new paper, new projects, and huge issues

the title says it all. grrr. got my berry bliss paper last night [I was invited to a neighbor's SU! party where I was NOT the demo, so I ordered a pack of paper at her show]. it is SOOOOOO lovely! I'll have to challenge myself to make something "perdy" with it tonight!

I am attaching some pics of projects I've done lately...thanks to felice, rae & I mass produced the "wild about you" version of the valentines for our kids. a sucker attaches to the back...a great idea and super easy to make [okay, so tying 40 ribbons was getting stupid..]. we really liked the glitter that felice had on her project, but we skipped it just to save time. we did use the dotted wheel on ours as well, only with versamark [so it doesn't show in this picture]. the little cello-bag-holder-thingy was a project we did at make & take night!













































and then there are my issues, witch are strongly attached to why I haven't blogged as of late. not too sure if I have the energy to reflect on my crappy eating week, all my own doing. there is no one to blame but myself. so, I will wallow today and pull my sh*t together tomorrow and all will be okay. maybe I will have some reflections on this tomorrow.