Lost and Found

It has been so long since I've picked up my adhesive runner and paper trimmer! I've been inspired to do something.... anything.... for awhile now. I just haven't been able to find any inspiration to put ink to paper.

I went on an amazing blog hop today and have seen so much inspiration and am ready to try my hand at this latest sketch from their site.

I was such an avid scrapper for so many years.... I started out as a hobby, then as a consultant for a scrappy company, then a message board.. to a website..... to an online store... to selling kits and mailing out more than my postman wanted to carry to his truck each day.

I was creative and happy and saw beauty in the world in a way that has been lost to me for these years since.

I saw different beauty in the world.... the beauty of a baby girl named Jenna as she entered this world and became part of my heart. I went from a mom of 2 to a mom of 3 and life changed drastically. Now........ my journey takes another turn with the addition of our 4th child soon and even though life will be crazier and busier than EVER before.... I want the eyes of a creative soul back and am ready to embrace ART and babies all at the same time!

Blogs have changed since I posted daily, you tube now shows videos of everything you can think of, and websites galleries are all filled with different people showcasing different talents.

I feel like I'm taking a small piece of myself back, but not in a selfish way. It is a piece that I use to share the lives of those closest to me. I'm excited to get started.

I'm excited. Just 2 words, but words that carry so much meaning.

Thanks so much to the ladies of http://www.sketchsupport.com for helping me find my voice again.

Now off to find some paper to cut up!

Saying goodbye to a good friend...

We were forced to say Goodbye to our dear, Dash this past week.

His heart murmur got the better of him, we think. It was a dark dark day around here having to tell Jake that his best bud is gone.

Go BULLS!!!!!!

Jordan just got her acceptance to USF!!!!!

We... I mean SHE has worked so hard to get into a good college and I... I mean SHE is so excited!

She applied to 2 other schools and we are waiting to hear from them. She will then decide her path and follow her dreams into adulthood and college life.

Go Bulls!

Feelin' FINE in '09~

New year.

New seasons of life for all of us.

My first New Year's Eve that passed without being able to call Mom at the moment the ball drops to scream HAPPY NEW YEAR'S!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It was a thing of ours.

That New Year's Eve phone call.

It happened each and every year since I married and left home.

Every year.... until this year.

It was painful to watch that ball drop and knowing that I could not call and shout it in her ear and hear her laughing at our silly tradition.

Just another reminder that this is the Start of a new season for me.

A season without all the little things that Mom and I shared.

It also showed me that this is a new season for me and my daughter. A year to start our own traditions and little things that we do without thinking on a yearly basis.

I was thinking about that very thing when my own phone rang at a few minutes after midnight.

I answered the phone and it was Jordan, my wonderful daughter, screaming HAPPY NEW YEAR'S MOM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I suddenly realized that moments like that will live within my heart forever and I'll cherish them each and every year that she calls me.

Sometimes it really feels good to think that maybe.... JUST maybe..... you have done something right in raising your kids.

So... to my wonderful Mom shining down upon me now.... Happy New Year's Eve and may our little tradition live on through Jordan now.

Such a special day.......

Today is November 4th. Yes, it is a day for the Presidential Election.

That is NOT why it is so special to me.

Today is a day of reflection.

19 years ago, as very young and naive girl of only 18 years old walked down the aisle of a lil' Georgia church towards a man that was to be her husband.

This man was only 19. Looking back now, this 'man' was really just a boy just like I was just a girl. We were so young.

Our daughter is about to turn 17 years old in a couple weeks. I met my destiny and my love when I was only 17.

It was at the age of 17 that I decided that I wanted this man and only this man for the rest of my life. I can not imagine the heartbreak we would both feel if she came home today with the sentence of.... "I am going to marry this guy!"

I know that our parents had major reservations about our decision. I think everyone had major reservations about our decision. Everyone, except for us.

I looked into your eyes and you showed me your heart and your soul. I knew that I would only find true love there and that is what you have shown me ever since.

Little did I know that I was walking that aisle towards a man with so much love for me that he would stand with me during the hardest times of my life.

That this man of only 19 years old, would be so strong that the foundation of his Faith could not be shaken. His heart so large that it would grow to love his new wife and their children that would follow in years to come.

I could not have known that the man I walked towards would turn into the best Father to my children, and show them the amazing love and devotion that he would shower upon me.

I could never have known that when he said "I do" to the vow of 'in sickness and in health" he really would sit with me while I cried over a diagnosis and assure me that everything would be alright.

I didn't know that he would become the Dr that I needed and give me the medication at the time I needed, then stand with me as I became sick because of it.

I didn't know that he would dance with our daughter, as she put her tiny feet upon his as he taught her to dance. I didn't know that he would stand at 1st base just so our son would see his Daddy's proud face as he ran to first base after hitting the ball.

I didn't know any of this.

I do know all of this now. I don't know what the next 19 years will bring or what you will be at that time.

I do know this.... I know that you are the man that holds my heart and my soul. You are the man that I dream of each night and am blessed to wake up to each morning. I know that I am blessed beyond measure to have you in my life.

There are so many flashes of memories of times that I realized I didn't deserve you. So many times you were strong for me, while feeling crushed and helpless inside.

When you rushed home to hold me after that call from the Dr. When you sat with me at Denny's and I could not find a word for syrup and the waitress was in a hurry and you gave me such a sweet look and waited patiently while I found the words.

I can never find the words to express my love and devotion to you, my love.

You are my everything. My heart is yours and you've taken such good care of it for all these years.

I promise that I will spend the next 19 years trying to show you that I would not trade a moment of our lives for anything in this world!

With all my love, all my heart, all my prayers.........

Happy Anniversary, my dear Chris!

I love you always.

Thank you for calling.. How may I help you today????

Well, for those wondering where I've wandered to.... I've wandered only as far as my laptop and headset!

I am in training now to work from home for a cable company.... I'm training to stand at the ready to answer the most off the wall question about your bill you can come up with!

Ohhhh, I once thought I'd just answer and say ' yooooo yooo, wat up dawg? whur your payment is? We not got it yet, so whuritat?'

But, that is NOT the script I was given! Alas, it is a bit more difficult that I once thought.

Alas, they expect... no... they DEMAND that I actually KNOW something about the company!

So, I'm hidden away in training each day so that I can explain the complexities of Hubs and Trunks and Truck Rolls and NODS, etc to the average customer calling to cancel his HBO or 'try' to get out of paying for the 10 ADULT movies that somehow just showed up on his bill!

For those who know me well, you know that there MUST be some sort of funny or ironic story to this.... otherwise, it just wouldn't fit with my life story.

You, my dear friends, are not wrong.

As it turns out..... in a world of working from home.... 'getting to work' consists of me loggin into my own cable company / Internet and signing into work. In other words, to 'drive' to work... I just log in.

(don't get jealous yet... I've not even told you that I get to work in my jammies while watching TV and sipping coco)

My own Internet decided that an easy life was not meant to be for me!

Yes, my Internet died.

The line went dead.

The lights stopped blinking and the computer cried foul.

I had to call in to my supervisor at the cable company I work for to say 'I can't log into work today because my own cable is out.'

The irony of it is just too much for me to take!

So, as I sit and wait for my cable guy tomorrow...

the THIRD one since Friday might I add.....

I will have to get out of my work clothes, aka my jammies... and actually clean the house instead of having headset on and watching Regis and Kelly!

Times ARE tough, my friends. Times are tough!

Recession-ista Lisa tip for d'day

Want a yummy freebie?

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Tips from the Recession-ista!

A new feature........

Tips from the Recession-ista Lisa!!!!

Feel free to send in your tips - be sure to give all details and your name/state and you can earn your Recession-ista status!!!

We all are trying to save where and when we can, and as women... we are our OWN best resource! Let's share what has saved your family the most!!!!

Our first tip:

Make Your Own Frozen Waffles

Instead of buying store bought frozen waffles, I used to spend one Saturday morning cooking up a huge batch of homemade waffles and then would stick them in the freezer. When the kids wanted waffles, I would just pull out a frozen waffle and pop it in the toaster.

Economical and efficient.

Now I use the Aunt Jemima Mix, 20 waffles for $2.69 compared with Eggo Waffles, 10 waffles for $2.50.


Enjoy the weekly tips! Do you have a website that you stalk for tips/deals?