Home Again!

Well, we're home again! For those who were unaware, Henry and I recently joined my Mom and Grandma on a 1875 mile road trip to visit relatives in Tennessee. We left Sunday the 21st, and stayed that first night in Indianapolis. Monday we stopped in Lexington to have lunch with my SCS friend Karen (SCS: Jusgottastamp) and then continued on to TN, and we stayed with relatives until Thursday morning. We spent two days in Pigeon Forge, one day shopping and one day visiting Dollywood, which was awesome. My only regret is that we didn't go a few weeks later so that we could see their Christmas decorations and shows! Thursday we headed for Nashville, and also spent some time shopping in the old town of Metamora, IN on the way home (it was a little out of the way, but still worth the detour). We returned home yesterday, the 27th. It was a rainy trip, but other than that it was very nice.

Henry was a trooper throughout and barely fussed at all (only twice, and both times after having sat in the car seat through 6+ hours of driving!). He stuck to his normal sleep schedule while we were away, but his naps were much shorter. He's been sleeping like crazy since we got home to make up for it! :o)

Here are some pictures from our trip. This is Henry playing with his first box of animal crackers. His Aunt Jeannie bought them for him as a surprise treat!

These two are of the family at Dollywood. The first is of Mom, Aunt Jeannie, Grandma, Henry, and me and my Mom and Uncle Leon swap places for the second picture. Pay no attention to my footwear :o) I'm dealing with bursitis and tendonitis on my feet, so these are basically the only shoes I could wear all week! You can even see the baby bump if you look closely!

Soooo Sleepy!

These were taken a week or two ago on different nights (obviously!). I couldn't help myself - he was just too stinkin' cute with his rump in the air and then with his Tigger! And I thought these posts were fitting for today because I am beat! Henry and I are joining my Mom and Grandma for a week long vacation in a few days, and I have been running around like crazy trying to get everything packed and ready to go for the trip. I think I'm on top of it, but that will probably be my downfall in the end!

As for the pregnancy, all is well. We've been able to hear the heartbeat and everything is going well so far. I've been having some problems with my feet (bursitis in one, tendonitis in the other) and the Dr. seems to think it's partially due to the pregnancy, so I'll have that to look forward to for the next five months. Woo hoo! (Do you sense the dripping sarcasm?!)

I've had a few cravings.... mostly the roast beef sandwich from Friar Tuck's, but more recently plain Lay's potato chips (not Ruffles, mind you) with French Onion dip. I've been indulging on that one this week, but that will come to an end soon. I can't keep eating that garbage or I'll balloon! So far I've only gained three pounds (was up to six, but lost three and it has stayed off for about a month now). It's the same as it was with Henry. With him I ended up leaving the hospital weighing less than when I walked in. And no, it's not something I'm trying to do - it just happens that way for some reason.

So, that's our life in a nutshell! Thanks for reading! :)

Time With You

My sister, God love her, is not fond of floral or nature images. She likes stuff that is a little more "cutesy". I, on the other hand, tend to gravitate toward the flowers and nature stamps! So, making her birthday card was a bit of a challenge. Thankfully I received some images of this Time With You set from the Wish-RAK forum on Splitcoast. This is one of those sets that I regret not buying before it retired... Don't we all have one (or more) of those?!

My "Little Farmer"

Yeah right... :o) Put him down in a pumpkin patch and all he does is cringe and worry about the grass getting between his toes, then plops down on his bottom! Apparently we need to spend more time outdoors barefoot (shhh... don't tell great-grandma!)! We went to an Apple Orchard/Pumpkin Patch (called "The Little Farmer", hence the title of this post!) on the other side of the lake on Saturday. Henry loved to watch the goats in the petting zoo, and all the people milling about but didn't really know what to make of things when I took him out of the stroller (that's my boy!). We found the perfect pumpkin, and a few halloween decorations and called it a day. Grandma picked up a 1/2 peck of apples so she could make pies this fall (yummm!) and I think we'll head back again before the season is over to get some for ourselves to make homemade applesauce. Darrin wasn't feeling well and wasn't able to go with us this time so maybe we'll make a second trip for his sake.

Here are some pictures from the day:

It's That Time of Year Again!

I can't even believe it is October already! Since I don't have a pic of this year's costume yet, I thought I'd share my favorite picture from last year of my little pumpkin. :) We bought this costume at Toys 'R Us, and had to cut a slit in the back of the hat to get it to fit right. Did I mention my son is over the 100th percentile for the size of his head? Must take after his Grandpa Gene and Uncle Don. :) Poor kid. lol - just kidding.

This year I am going to attempt to make Henry's costume. I'll post it whether it's good, bad, or ugly but it will probably be a week or two. He's going to be a puppy dog, white and brown to match my Mom's cocker spaniel Katie. I bought a white hoodie sweatshirt and am going to sew brown ears and spots on it and then pair it with some brown sweats. Darrin suggested that I make the costume because his Mom used to make all of his, and he was always so proud that he was wearing something his Mom made (awwww!).

Today I was drawing a pattern for the ears on paper and showed it to him to see what he thought of the shape. He said, "I think you should get Ryan to do it." Ryan would be Henry's godfather, and an art teacher. I think I get the hint. ;o) But I kept working at it, and finally came up with one all by myself (so there!) that looks cute. Now I just have to get my felt cut and start assembling!

Bella's on Parade!

Who doesn't love these sweet Bella images?! I just had a few pass over my stamping desk and had to share them with you! For those who haven't been blessed by the Bella bug yet, she is available online through http://www.stampingbella.com/ (which reminds me, that really should be linked in my Websites Worth Visiting!).... and there are dozens of images to choose from. My personal favorite is Rockabella, but I just noticed the new Witchybella and may just have to place another order soon!

Oh - and just in case any of you reading are like me and sometimes neglect to read the fine print, the stamps come unmounted. Be sure to purchase some acrylic blocks on the site to go with them if you don't have any at home already!

Here are some samples...

This Craveabella card I received from my friend Lesley in Indiana (SCS: Hoosierstamper), as a pregnancy congrats card. I LOVE the ribbon (which she tells me is from last years SU winter mini), and the image itself couldn't be more perfect. I'm all about the ice cream these days! :)

This Cosmobella card is from Lorie in Washington (SCS: Momtokjs) as a thank you/congrats for participating in and winning the contest for her Halloween swap. What a fun surprise to get along with all the other goodies!

I made this Rockabella card myself for the secret sister I had in the Spring round on SCS. I coated her pants with glue and navy blue glitter for a fun effect and used SU's "Jazz" wheel for the background. The little charm reads "Glamour Girl".

And finally, this Pregabella card! I also made this one, for a mom-to-be at a baby shower this past weekend. I was going to make a bunch of them to send out to family and friends announcing the pregnancy, but didn't (1) because I lazed out and (2) because I was afraid people would get it and think I was expecting a gift or card or something in return (which sooo wasn't the case).

My Sister's Keeper

by Jodi Picoult

I thought maybe I'd add "book reviews" to the list of things you'll find on my blog! :) I just finished this last night, and have to say it was fantastic. As noted on the author's official website (click her name above for the link), a brief synopsis of the book is as follows:

Anna is not sick, but she might as well be. By age thirteen, she has undergone countless surgeries, transfusions, and shots so that her older sister, Kate, can somehow fight the leukemia that has plagued her since childhood. The product of preimplantation genetic diagnosis, Anna was conceived as a bone marrow match for Kate - a life and a role that she has never questioned… until now. Like most teenagers, Anna is beginning to question who she truly is. But unlike most teenagers, she has always been defined in terms of her sister - and so Anna makes a decision that for most would be unthinkable… a decision that will tear her family apart and have perhaps fatal consequences for the sister she loves. My Sister's Keeper examines what it means to be a good parent, a good sister, a good person. Is it morally correct to do whatever it takes to save a child's life… even if that means infringing upon the rights of another? Is it worth trying to discover who you really are, if that quest makes you like yourself less?

First of all, I would not recommend this book for anyone who is pregnant and over emotional. I seriously cried through the whole book! Picoult is one of my favorite author's to begin with, but I have to say she did an amazing job of crafting each character and the family as a whole so that you the reader will feel like you are genuinely a part of it all. Definitely check it out! And while you're at it, look up some of her other books too. So far I've read The Pact (about a suicide pact between two teens), Plain Truth (the one that started it all for me - about a scandal in an Amish community), and this one. I also have her Nineteen Minutes here on loan from a girlfriend and can't wait to start that one soon!