Opinions??? 
 
 


These are my favorites for the wedding invite. I am going to do the picture mounted on a blue cs then print the wedding info on vellum and attach over picture with a ribbon. There is more of course but that is the jist with the picture. So what do you all think, are the pictures ok or should we try getting some more, I need honest opinions. Thanks! 

Down on the farm.





So today we headed out to take some pictures of my SIL and her fiance for their wedding invitations. I think that we will be able to find a couple that will work, I took 60+ photos. I now know that I really do need a better camera. I also have my son convinced that of that too. As we were pulling out of the drive way and back onto the road my camera fell on the floor and rolled over towards the passanger door. My son says mommy your camera, I say it's fine, just don't open your door or it will fall out. To that my son answers I could do that mommy and then you could get a new camera. It is amazing what sticks in these little brains.

Ok so Sil wants pictures of the two of them with their horses, they run a big horse farm. This will be integrated into the wedding invite that I am making. I am getting excited now, because this picture was the big thing and now I can concentrate on doing my thing the crafty stuff! After we got their pictures the kids got a short ride on the horse. This is the first time that K has gotten on the horse, before he was just too scared. On the way down he told me that since he can ride an ATV he can go on the horse. I was skeptical but he did it. Linds, she just loves the horses and takes every chance to hop on when Aunt Jill will let her. 

The end of a hectic week or the beggining of a fresh one...

So Sunday is here and all I want to do is sleep. We have had a busy week with straightening up the house for guests. Thanks so much Julie and Katie for coming down and hanging out with me! I had a wonderful time and I really hope that you two enjoyed your time with me in the big town of Dodgeville. Shannon we really missed you! As I have said lots before Katie is our camera girl, so check her blog for photos. We did have a great lunch at a really fun place downtown, but sorry Christine we didn't get pictures of the food.

I do feel pretty good about all the stuff that got done around the house, I haven't had anything big like this to really need to do a good cleaning for and well the house needed it. I feel a whole lot less cluttered at the momement, let's just hope that I can keep it up until baby. Only six weeks to go!

So Julie borrowed a copy of the "Scrapped" movie and we stayed up late Friday night to watch. Well I think that we were all hoping for something a little different. I thought it would be a bit more on the silly side, it was a true documentary. Lots of very researched info, this would be a great movie for someone who was just starting in the sb world. All in all not a bad movie, just not what I expected. I really enjoyed the beggining when they were showing a woman and her scrap room, had to have dh watch that just so I could prove that no I do not have "so" much stuff. LOL!!!

Saturday we worked, sort of. I guess I feel pretty good about what I got accomplished, I did decide that I am a much better scrapper at home. I get ideas when I work on stuff and at a crop I never seem to have the right thing that I really want to make my page or picture work. And I think I do a little to much socializing. But I need the socializing so I will never stop going to crops!

Today the house is quiet, I have been asking for this for weeks and now I don't know what to do with myself. Jeff took the kids and they are working on hunting stuff, cameras, tree stands, fall food plots, they should be gone most of the day. So what should I do, well Jeff of course didn't leave the house without giving me an assignment, I am washing his hunting garb, at least there is no folding involved with this just into the washer, into the dryer and then into a plastic airtight bag. Ok I think I can handle this. I did do one thing for myself this morn, I washed my sheets and they are hanging outside! Oh I love line dryed sheets, makes me excited for bed time! I rarely get a chance to hang them outside, I think I am just a little to lazy to make the trek upstairs with wet sheets and then outside, but I forced myself today and I will be happy later! I really should pull my Year in the life book back out and keep working, but I think that I will read the paper and just relax.

Break Time!

I am doing another round of house cleaning and I need a break. Today it's a little dreary and rainy outside, perfect for cleaning or sleeping (really wish I was sleeping).

Ok so I already have comments on the pictures and no explanation, cool! Glad to hear that they are apreciated. So when i was posting these yesterday i was trying to get back in and do an update and guess what blogger wouldn't let me. I think that there must be some sort of cosmic force that is getting in the way of me and all that I have to say to the world. Oh well...

Ok so I have been trying to get in and have the kids pictures taken since the beggining of the month and yesterday was the third scheduled appointment and we finally made it. We tested out a new place called Portrait Innovations. They are new (in the last few months) to Greenway Station, just around the corner from Archiver's (which we didn't get time to stop at). Anyway I loved the experience and will most definitely be going back for "full" family pictures later this year. (Look for those in our x-mass cards!) I was a little bummed that we didn't get a decent one with me and the kids, the one I posted is ok, but not worth ordering prints of.

We also checked out another "new" house last night, very nice, but after much discussion I think we have decided to just stick it out in our perfect little house. Neither Jeff or I are very excited about doubling or tripling our current mortgage just for a little more space. Then of course came the talk about big money making dreams, I guess a co-worker and friend of Jeff's is just fed up with UPS and thinks it would be a great idea for him and Jeff to team up and have a huge sporting goods shop. Only thing is there is so little $$ in this business. At least I know that Jeff never has dreams of grandure and this would not be something he would just jump into. Ok so on to the next scheme, Jeff brings an add in from one of the home improvement stores, wouldn't this be a good idea, Jeff thinks he should just buy these garage kits and build them for people on the weekends. Buy the kit for 5, build and charge customer 20, I'm not so sure about that one either, but I know Jeff hasn't lost his sence of humor. God love him!

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LO #2  

So here are the two LO's that I got finished this weekend. I really like the park one, I think it's just the colors that make me happy. I have way to many things to do and all I really want is to work on more pages. Life is rough sometimes. Well we are off to run some errands, gotta get a card swap in the mail and then to the bank and finally for the kids the pool. So no scrappin today. Maybe tonight i will work on some more stuff. I am really jealous of Christine and the fact that her kids are already back to school. I need some quite time and sending the kids to school would feel so wonderful, even though it would mean dragging my butt outta bed an hour earlier than I have been doing for the last month. I would do it just for some quite time.

LO #1 

Ready to Shop! 


ICK! Can I just say that I am totally frustrated with blogger or my computer today! This is try number three for an update here and well I can't decide if its me or blogger and it is just maddening!

Ok enough ranting...

I did manage to have a really nice weekend, think I over did it a little. I am way tired and cranky today, but oh well. Friday I got one LO done, but it's one that I like and I used the silly picture of my dh that I just am crazy for. It did get me in the mood and I got up early Saturday morn and finished off a two page spread with the pictures from the park and I even have journaling on there. That is always such a hurdle for me.

So the picture above is Linds of course and we took a trip to the new outlet mall in the Dells. Have I told you how much I love to shop, well I really, really love to shop. And this place was the best! All of my favorite stores, plus more that I could learn to love. Lots of places that Linds loves too. Alright I have really created a monster in Linds, she normally wants to shop longer than me. What will it be like when she is a teenager??? So anyway, Katie keep working on a Dells scrappin retreat cuz there isn't anything better (in my book anyway), than scrappin and great shopping.

Sunday I went on a cleaning spree, no I am not nesting! We had a rather icky accident in my bed some time Saturday night and well I needed to rent a rug-doctor to clean my matress. Figured if it was here I might as well do the couch and all the carpets. Every time we do carpets I am amazed at how much cleaner they look for the next couple days. Sorry gals I am sure by friday they will be back to their much ickier looking state. Yes this is our last Week in the Life get together this weekend and I am so excited that Katie and Julie will be coming to scrap and stay the night friday then scrap some more on Saturday. Shannon I know you are still up in the air, but I really hope you can make it out, you will most definitely be missed if you can't.

Well dh is due home early tonight so I must get some supper going for him. If things settle down I may try and post my LO's, we'll see.

TGIF!

Well it's friday and I am glad. I have spent the morning getting ready for my scrap group tonight. I have 7 pages all layed out to work on, anyone have a bet as to how many I will actually get done? If I can get two finished I will be happy.

Ok so yesterday was a fun day, my SIL is getting married in October and she has asked that Linds be the minature bride, Linds is very excited. We took a trip to the dress shop yesterday afternoon to try on a some dresses that Aunt Jill had approved. Of course they were all so cute, but we did settle on one. And well I didn't even think to bring my camera so I could take a picture. We ended up leaving the dress at the store, just a safer place for an all white dress. I really want to take a trip back and take some photos, am I crazy???

Then yesterday afternoon we (K, Lind, & me) had check ups. I have been prepping Linds for the last 6+ weeks about this. She needed to get all her shots so we can start Kindergarten. I kept comparing it to the ear piercing, saying it wouldn't hurt any worse than that and look at how good you did there. So she is all ready, we bring an animal to hold, get through all the weighing, measuring, blood pressure, and general look see by the doctor. Now it's time for the nurses to come back and finish with the shots. Doctor leaves and Linds starts wimpering "I don't want shots". I tell her it will be just fine, nurses come in, we get Linds to lay down on the exam table and by this time she is screaming bloody murder. I lean over her to try and settle her down (now the nurses have not even touched her yet), while I am holding her they do the shots anounce they are done, Linds sits up and the nurses ask if that hurt. What does my drama queen daughter say, "No". Screaming and tears turn off and away we go.

Big park fun


Alright I am not sure what weather forcast I was listening to yesterday when I said it looked like a great day to do the big park and big pool. The morning did not look promising, but we packed up a picnic lunch anyway and headed out. I really thought that we would get rained on so I left the swim suits and towels at home. We did get some great pics at the park, that is really all that I wanted anyway. I got some way cool park paper that I so want to use, but I didn't have the pictures I wanted. Julie and Katie you have created a picture taking monster. Well I got the pictures I need and if I can get some work done at my monthly crop group tomorrow night I may just scrap these. Big problem is when i get together with this group I spend the whole night talking. Can you imagine me just talking the night away and not getting a thing done. So back to the park story, the weather does look pretty good in the pictures and well it was beautiful. So good that I really wanted to go in the pool, I asked the kids if we should run home and change to pool wear, their answer YES! Can you beleive that? No pictures from the pool, I have more than enough of those. 

Adventures...


We have had some fun over the last two days. The picture here is of K and Sparky (the toad). The neighbor kid found the toad and told K he should keep it as a pet. Well I told K that we would keep it until daddy came home and then with daddy's help decide what to do with it. Daddy said of course K could keep it. First mistake, next mistake was mine. We put the toad in a great little container that was really meant for bugs, but seemed to work alright. Now I got busy, dinner, dishes, laundry. Fast forward to 8ish and K wants to tell sparky good night. Well I had told K not to leave the toad in the sun, we needed to put some water in that container, well direct sun and no water does not make a happy toad. Sparky was cooked well done to be exact. K was so upset we had to bury toad right then and there. We found a nice place under K's bedroom window in one on my un-used flower beds. Then we printed some pictures for K to sleep with, by morning K was fine and ready to find more toads. Boys! 

Wacky Wednesday!

Well it must be a wacky day cuz I am up and at this computer so early. We have big adventures planned for today, that is if I can get through some stuff here first. We are having issues with our computer, I have been sending emails for the last few days and getting no responses what so ever. Well last night I took to actually using the phone and calling to talk to a friend. We did some testing, I can get email, but for some reason when I send stuff it just goes into the blue abiss of somewhere and never to the recipient. I have to call our provider today and find out what is going on. Love this technical age! A heads up to Shannon, Katie, and Julie, I did try something different this am with details of croppin in Dodgeville this month so check your email and spam for a note from me. Let me know what you get.

Ok so back to our big adventure, we are taking a picnic lunch to the big park and then diving into the big pool. The kids are excited and the weather looks like it will be perfect!

We have also been kitty sitting for the last few days. Nana is in Cananda fishing and one of the provisions of her adobting the kitty was that we watch it when she went on vaca. As you can see kitty sitting is a very hard job! LOL!!! I think that kitty will be so happy to see Nana in a few days. We will miss her though. She is so funny, last night I was working on some swap cards, putting ribbon on and such, she hops on the table and was all over the ribbon. I was just waiting for her to put her paws in my open ink pads, but it didn't happen. Thank God, how would I explain a kitty with cranberry and thyme ink all over her feet. I am sure that she has picked up some wonderfully bad habits at our house, but isn't that what babysitting is all about, spoiling some little one and then giving them back to the "parents"? It's like reverse grandparent treatment!  

Weekend Crop Project  

Ok blogger doesn't seem to be liking me today, here goes try number three.

I was working on prepping my class for tonight and got that done a whole lot faster than I thought, so I moved right on to project number two. I am trying to not be the deadline queen for this go round. I am teaching a class for the LSS weekend crop in a couple weeks and we are going to do this 12 x 12 frame. I tried to keep it simple so that my students could use their creativity to make it their own. So what da ya think? I think it needs something, if it were mine I might add a big monogram letter somewhere and maybe some loving words about my dh.

 

One more thing before I am outa here for the night. I did some scrappin on Saturday! Ok yes this is for a class, my tomorrow nights class to be exact! I will be teaching my students how to make the cute pinwheels for there pages or cards. They are really fun to make and super easy too! 

Trying to get back in the grove...

So life is a little crazy and well I just can't seem to get it all back together, maybe it's cuz I am so huge and uncomfortable all I can think of is being done with being pg. I think that I am getting just a touch cranky too. Friday night I took the kids to the pool, we have not been there at night before. They had a great time, there was music playing and tons of inner tube floaties for all to enjoy. But the point of my story, I was talking to another mom and she asked when I was due, end of Sept I say, she replies next month good for you. Then it hit me my due date is next month! Ok so it is still 7+ weeks away, but I am so not even close to being ready for baby number three. We have not made any space in our house, no crib, no diapers, no dresser filled with clean clothes do I need to be doing this??? I just keep telling myself it will all fall into place it always does.

It is wild at our house tonight, Jeff got home very late Saturday night and it was great to have him home. We just sort of rested together Sunday, took the kids to see the Barnyard movie (I am not recommending it), then just relaxed. Today we are back to full swing. It is just over a month before Archery hunting season opens and well Jeff is so busy. Since he walked in the door from UPS at 5:30, his cell phone and our house phone has been ringing non-stop. And we have had a steady stream of customers since 6. It will probably be like this for the next 4-6 weeks, how we do it every year I don't know. One thing I do know is it gets crazier each year.

So I wanted to post a few more pictures from our adventures last week, well the first one is actually from a couple weeks ago, but whey I pulled this pic of Jeff up on the computer I just fell in love with it. It is so him. I am working on a class for the LSS scrap weekend and I am so using this picture . (I'll have to get that done and post it)






Racing go-karts in the Dells, this was Daddy's favorite thing!
Lindsay and Maddie watering their "seeds". When I asked Maddie what they were growing she told me corn and beans and flowers and a few other things I can't quite remember. 

The Adventure Begins!

The Johnston Family "Mini" Vacation to The Dells - July 31 - August 1, 2006

  

Waterpark Wackiness! 
 
 

These shots are the only wet shots I got, I really would have liked to get a few more, but well cameras and water don't mix so well. Plus when you've got two kids who both want to do the waterslides and two adults that need to take them down it was a little hard to find that extra hand for a photo. They did have some blurb in their info about renting waterproof digital cameras, wished we had checked into that, maybe next time. The kids had a blast on the waterslides, we mostly did the slides where you go down in tubes, that way we could go down together. I had a pretty good time too, the only thing that wore me out was going back up all the steps to go down a 20 second ride. Oh well I guess I can hope that maybe my butt got a little work out! LOL!!! By far my favorite water ride was the wave pool, no steps! Poor Jeff was a little bummed, they had this slide called Howling Tornado and you had to go down with 2, 3, or 4 people, no singles. Well this was not one I was up to doing and K was just an inch to short. We tryed to find someone who would let Jeff tag along, but no luck. Maybe next year! The big bucket dump in the pictures was the kids favorite. Twice while K was under there he lost his shorts! Lots of little boys with white tushies hanging out after the flood of water came down.