…the photos from our home fireworks show.  I love that we can buy fireworks here in Colorado.  In Maine we were lucky if we got a box of sparklers for the 4th. ;D  We got a large pack of fireworks on sale this year and there were a ton inside.  You know its pretty good when the neighbors come out and watch.

Having fun playing with long exposure time.  I told the girls to not move…but move the sparklers.  So much fun to do this!!!!

I’m so thankful I have Corey who will light these things.  Cause even tho I will participate…I hate lighting them.  I especially hate the loud ones and I hate those freakin popper ones…the little white ones that you just throw at the ground and they snap really loudly.  The girls just LOVE THEM…even tho they are the most simple things on earth and Corey will do all those nice loud ones with them.  When they come out…I disappear inside.  Thank goodness for a fun Dad! ;D

Corey really does have the best ideas. ;D We were trying to decide where to watch fireworks for the 4th.  Lots of places were firing them off on Saturday the 3rd.  One of those places was Glendale…which just happens to be where Corey’s office is.  In a high rise.  On the 15th floor.  Facing the directions of where they were going to shoot off the fireworks.

We avoided crowds, parking problems, noisy people, mosquitoes and enjoyed comfy office chairs, air conditioning and hot chocolate!  Oh yeah…and we could see the fireworks just perfectly!  The 15th floor offers some advantages…and so does a private parking lot and a badge to get in the building.  What a neat way to watch them! ;D

My only issue…I still can’t exactly figure out my new camera when taking photos at night.  So these aren’t the greatest photos…at least not how I like them! ;D

I’ve been feeling kinda rotten since I got out of the hospital.  Just frustrated with how slowly it seems to be taking to get better.  No magic pill to take…you know.  But today was sunny and warm and I thought maybe if I sat outside for a little while it might make me feel a little better.  It did.  Now I still can’t run any marathons or anything but something about sitting out in the sun…does wonders for my soul.

When I downloaded my camera tonight I was very surprised to see that I had over 160 photos!  Granted it was Mother’s Day…not that we did much given the circumstances.  But for some reason I was feeling great behind the camera and everyone was cooperating well. ;D

Here are just a few I’m going to share.  Of course there isn’t room for all 160!

Ava turned 9 yesterday.  Already she is focusing on the fact that next year she will be in the double digits. ;D  We took her to Red Robin for dinner.

I’m upset at how sick I look.  But as we joke…I almost died. Hey.  If I don’t make jokes I cry. ;D  I’m trying to get used to including pictures of me…no matter how I look.  It took a lot out of me to go out.  But I’m glad I am out of the hospital and able to be with my family for this occasion.

Sometimes I wonder if my girls are getting too old for egg hunts.  Laney informed me today she wants to keep doing it till she’s 20.  Of course she’s the child who says she’s going to live with me forever and never get married. ;D  Ava didn’t say one way or another but she sure looked like she was having fun.  We had a hard time keeping Skits out of the eggs when we were hiding them.  He was intrigued.

For some reason turning 35 didn’t bother me.  But turning thirty-six…yeah.  Maybe it is cause it is on the down slope to 40…I don’t know.  Same thing when I hit 30…that was ok.  Thirty-one…not so much.  The joke in my family is I’m not going to get any older…I’ll have more birthdays but I’m staying 36 forever.  Laney says, “You are going to be a 36 year old Grandmother???”  Yep!  You got it! ;D  Ava, the pragmatic one, says, “I don’t THINK so!”  She’s so much like me it is scary.

They took me out to Red Robin last night.  I had a coupon for a free burger for my birthday…which kept the bill down…yay!

And then just because it was on my camera…here’s a picture of Laney with Skits.  He’s really been great lately.  We were punishing him for bad behavior and everything seemed to be getting worse.  So I went online and did some reading and found out some interesting facts about Westies.  We completely changed our tactics with him and stopped punishing him for having accidents in the house.  Its been about a week…he’s a completely different dog…we were seriously at whits end.  Little did we know we were the ones contributing to the bad behavior.  He’s doing much better and is more loving…like a Westie is supposed to be!  Oh, and having less and less accidents as we go.  I think he may be getting it!  Yay!  He really is an excellent dog!  Smart as a whip!

It is COLD here!  -11° this morning when we woke up!  The furnace had stopped running during the night.  It was 40° in the house when we woke up.  The furnace never brakes when it is warm out does it???

I wrote about this on FB and Twitter yesterday but I want to put it on the ol’ blog for posterity purposes.  Yesterday Corey got out the Wii to set it all up.  Did you know we were getting a Wii for Christmas?  Well now you do.  So it was a good idea…setting it up.  When Christmas arrives and we open it up all we have to do is plug it in and it will work…no set up and waiting around…don’t you hate that about Christmas gifts?  I do.  And so do the kids! ;D  Having it out all day was not a good thing tho.  And I have told Corey WE ARE NOT GETTING IT OUT EARLY.  It is the big gift and we are going to wait!!!!  So Laney gets home from school and wants to play the Xbox.  I told her, “Sure you can play the Wii.”  She exclaims, “BUT WE DON’T HAVE A WII!!!”  OOPS!  See, Corey!  I told you not to open it! I was able to cover it up by saying something about playing it over at Steven’s house for Thanksgiving and I was confused.  It seemed to work.  If it had been Ava I’m not sure it would have.  As my friend Jeni said to me…”You blundered with the Tooth Fairy.  I see a trend here.”  Yikes!

There’s another new paper pack in my store today.  It’s called Winter Pink.  Would you also like some more good news?  If you sign up to follow me on Twitter and Tweet about this I’ll give you a 50% off coupon for my store!  ;D  Direct Message (on Twitter or email me at jenatjencropabledotcom) me to let me know that you have done this and I’ll email you the coupon! ;D

Here is my December Daily layout for Day 8 which was yesterday.  I scanned a picture that Laney drew.

star, cutstrip, berries Flitter Kit Lynn Grieveson
trees Seasonal Sampler Shabby Princess
graphic word blocks brushes & stamps no2 Katie Pertiet
paper Winter Wonder II JMDesigns
date stamp December Dayz JMDesigns
artwork Laney Maddocks

I’m sick.  I can’t stand it!  Boo.  Ava is sick too…not quite as bad.  But she said her ear hurt so I took her to the dr today.  She has a double ear infection.  Peh.  So today I did a lot of drinking…ehem…liquids and laying on de couch.  I was thankful for my laptop and the ability to be able to do a little designing.  I put together this paper pack.  You can find it in my store.

I’m so very excited that my friend Wendy is doing the December daily this year.  She made the best layout yesterday!  I have to share.  Maybe I’m a little bias because she used my supplies but this layout rocks!

So day two’s layout comes with another quick page.  It was one of my freebies.  So thankful for this…especially when sick!

I have a new weekly freebie in my sidebar.  Just in time for your December daily projects.  I used one of them in this photo as well as my number set from the December Dayz Element pack.

Are you going to do the December daily this year?  Have you done it in the past?  This will be my second year doing it.  First year doing it digital.  So looking forward to documenting December!

And YES I have my first layout done for my December daily album.  Having templates helps!!!! ;D

Don’t forget the sale going on in my store.  35% off store wide!  Use the code BLACKFRIDAY when checking out.  Happy Black Friday!

I made a layout with my new products.  Having a lot of fun with those.

How was your Thanksgiving?  Ours was very pleasant.  We visited friends and had a great time and great food.  It is fun for the girls to visit with boys.  Ava dressed as Darth Vader and Laney was Princess Leia.  They have been in the Star Wars mode for a long time…playing Star Wars Legos on the xbox.  ;D  As I said it is fun going to a boy’s house…he has Star Wars dress up stuff! ;D