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  • February
    21
    Posted by: jen on February 21st, 2010    Filled in: Asides, Ava, Corey, Daily Life, Laney, Outdoors, everyday inspiration

    I’ve always loved those pictures, shows or websites of the “before and after”.  Biggest Loser, Oprah’s makeover shows, stuff like that.  Well I have one of my own…

    Here’s the stove in our new kitchen before…

    And after…

    I love good deals.  I always shop the clearance racks of Target.  I shopped at a different Target…one closer to the new house.  The clearance wasn’t completely picked over like the one here in Parker.  I got some great baskets for the girls’ new bathroom.  These were on clearance for $2.48 marked down from $9.99!

    There were a pair of woodpeckers in the new yard yesterday.  I love that we have wildlife in the new place.  We’ve seen squirrels there too.  The kids were pleased about that.

    Here’s another view of the backyard.  I can’t wait for the leaves to come out!

    And then one last picture.  Of Skits.  He is getting so big.  He is starting to look more like a dog and less like a puppy.

    February
    14
    Posted by: jen on February 14th, 2010    Filled in: Asides, Ava, Corey, Daily Life, Laney, Outdoors, Photography, everyday inspiration, extraordinary moments

    …other things…Wednesday brought the return of Corey and I having lunch together.  He has been having to go into the office and I have been sick so it was nice to return to our weekly tradition.  We decided to eat at Qdoba.  They have a new menu item called Craft 2.  It lets you mix and match some of their favorite menu items.  I chose a naked taco and a grilled quesadilla.  Best food I’ve had in awhile.  I say that because my tummy has been so upset for so long!  It is so hard for me to find things that don’t make me feel ill.  This photo was taken with my phone.

    We were at Burger King yesterday and the girls noticed they had crowns with Twilight New Moon pictures on them.  How exciting!  He he!  Even tho I would NEVER let them watch it in a million years until they are like at least 13 they still know what it is…cause their Mom is obsessed with it! ;D  So here they are in their crowns.  They said Bella was “watching” you! ;D  This photo was also taken with my phone.  Not too shabby for a camera phone. Oh.  Notice Laney has her front two teeth missing.  That is a recent event as well.

    Does anyone know what THIS means….

    That is CORRECT we found Dunkin’ Donuts in Colorado!  A little bit of a drive as they are all in Colorado Springs.  But better than none at all.  We had an errand to run in the Springs on Saturday so we made a pilgrimage to Dunkin’ Donuts as well.  Grabbed a dozen donuts and some coffee beans.  We were all happy campers.  It’s an east coast thing. ;D

    We got snow.  Again.  Not much.  Just enough to annoy me.  We didn’t get our traditional 70° weather in January.  Not even our usual one day.  It has been cold.  It feels too much like Maine for my taste.  Peh.  Here are the girls shoveling the driveway.  Can anyone tell me what is different about this photo???

    December
    29
    Posted by: jen on December 29th, 2009    Filled in: Asides, Ava, Daily Life, Laney, Outdoors, Photography, digital scrapbooking, everyday inspiration, extraordinary moments

    It is fun going over all the photos from the last year.  It is easy to forget all the things that have happened over the last year.  There have been so many things!  I used this template and just chose a collection of pics to highlight 2009.  I love doing these types of layouts! ;D

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    Today it was warm enough for the girls to venture outside.  Not to mention it was warm enough for me to get out there with them for some photos. ;D

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    The girls made a fort in Ava’s room today.  (I did not help them.) It turned out really well!  They want to sleep in it tonight. ;D

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    I love having the girls home on break.  It reminds me of when they are home for the summer.  I love them and miss them when they are at school all day.  Can you tell they have been good and not fighting?  If so I’d want to be shipping them back to school asap!!!! ;D  Wink wink!

    December
    23
    Posted by: jen on December 23rd, 2009    Filled in: Ava, Corey, Daily Life, Laney, Outdoors, digital scrapbooking

    We are going to have a White Christmas!  Yay! ;D  I kinda wish I wasn’t so sick so I could enjoy it…more on that in a bit.  It is snowing now.  Has been all day and is supposed to snow tomorrow so the white stuff should be around for Christmas.  Why does snow make it feel more “Christmas-y”??

    I am still sick.  Yes it has been well over a week now.  Yes I did go to the dr.  Today.  Not much they could do for me.  Did a strep test.  That’s not it.  I think he felt sorry for me considering it is so close to Christmas.  I got some meds and hope they will help but I’m not holding my breath.  Being sick stinks in general but especially during Christmas.  I have presents to wrap.  The house is a mess.  Ugh.  Oh well.  I’m listening to Christmas music on my computer and to the sounds of the kids and Corey (he’s working from home today) and I have it pretty good.  I just wish I felt better.  While I was out braving the snow, going to the dr office, I went to the store and got food for Christmas.  So we won’t be having pizza.  Ha!  Corey wanted ham.  I wanted chicken.  Believe it or not the girls wanted steak!!!!  So I splurged and got filet mignon at Safeway.  I got a great cut!  Can’t believe they wanted it…they are definitely MY kids…if they were Corey’s they would want seafood. ;D He he!

    I noticed today how quiet everything was with the snow falling.  Quiet and peaceful.  I took a couple of photos of my festive flag out front on the house with the snow falling.  It was just so quiet.  I love that.

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    paper, photo mask, postage stamp, date stamp, alpha letters Jen Maddocks Designs
    Remember Word Art Ali Edwards

    November
    18
    Posted by: jen on November 18th, 2009    Filled in: Asides, Corey, Daily Life, Outdoors, everyday inspiration, extraordinary moments

    Corey works from home on Wednesdays.  When he does we usually go out to lunch.  Today we decided to investigate downtown Parker.  We found a little restaurant called Falcon Brewing Co.  The food was fantastic!!!!!  It will be added to one of our favorite regular places!  The weather was so nice…in the 60°s…we were able to sit outside and eat.  I was not wearing a jacket.  I love, love, love Colorado weather! ;D

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    November
    16
    Posted by: jen on November 16th, 2009    Filled in: Asides, Ava, Corey, Daily Life, Laney, Outdoors, Scrapbooking, digital scrapbooking

    …about Corey is how he always tells the girls he loves them.  This is important because I don’t think I ever heard it verbally from my dad and I don’t think I’ve ever heard Corey’s dad say it to him either.  It is interesting to me that he seems to have no problem saying it.  As a girl/woman I know how important this kind of thing is to hear from your dad.  Knowing my girls are hearing it from their Dad makes my heart happy.  That was one of the many sounds I heard this morning as everyone was getting ready.  Corey yelling, “I love you!” as Laney raced out the door for car pool.  Ava was already outside as it was 10° (yes. brrr.) and wanted to prove some point of waiting out in the cold. ;D

    Last night I was feeling creative.  I had some paper I had just gotten from Gina Miller that I knew would go perfectly with what Laney was wearing yesterday sledding.  So I made a layout. ;D  Here she be!

    Glisten&glide

    Layout credits here.

    November
    15
    Posted by: jen on November 15th, 2009    Filled in: Ava, Corey, Daily Life, Laney, Outdoors, Photography, extraordinary moments

    We took the girls sledding today in the freshly fallen snow.

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    November
    15
    Posted by: jen on November 15th, 2009    Filled in: Asides, Ava, Daily Life, Holidays, Laney, Outdoors, Photography, Scrapbooking, digital scrapbooking, extraordinary moments

    Laney lost another tooth last night.  Well.  She didn’t quite lose it as I pulled it out for her.  It was ready to come out and it was annoying her but she couldn’t quite get it.  And she was scared.  Ava helped her pull the last one.  But she was nervous to have her do it again.  So she tried for half the night and I finally asked her if she wanted me to help her.  She agreed.  I pulled.  She cried.  It came out.  In the end she was happy.  But she “never wants me to pull another tooth again!”

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    So Laney put her tooth under her pillow and waited for the Tooth Fairy.  And the Tooth Fairy in this house is a bad Tooth Fairy and sometimes forgets.  Sigh. I woke up this morning and thought of it right away.  I didn’t hear the kids up so I thought I was ok.  I slipped into Laney’s room and she looked like she was still asleep and so I found the tooth and exchanged it for a dollar.  She woke up just after the exchange.  So I thought I was safe.  She told me the Tooth Fairy forgot to give her money and I asked her to double check.  She did and was happy to see the dollar.  I thought I had gotten away with it but when it all came out she revealed to me she had been awake earlier and downstairs.  She had also been “faking it” when I thought she was sleeping and said she felt her pillow moving when I was taking her tooth.  Another sigh.

    “Mom.  Are you the Tooth Fairy?”

    “Yes.”

    “You ARE!!??”

    “I’m sorry Laney.  But yes I am.  Are you okay?”

    “Yes.  But what about all my other teeth?  And Ava’s teeth?  What happened to those?”

    “I took them.”

    “Where did you put them?”

    “It doesn’t matter.  In a special place.”

    Ava emerged and we told her.  I asked her if she was okay.  “Yes, I’m fine.  And I don’t believe in Santa either.  Because he’s Lauren’s grandpa!”  Apparently a friend of hers at school has a grandpa that looks just like Santa.

    “Well.  Since we are talking about this do you want to know the truth about Santa?”

    “Santa’s not real either???”  Laney exclaimed.

    “No.  Not in the way you think.  There was a person who existed called St. Nicholas who passed out gifts to children.  But there is no Santa.”

    This conversation continued on for awhile.  I could tell Ava was totally fine.  I knew she would be.  I could tell Laney was completely devastated.  I knew this was going to happen as well.  Insert another sigh here.  So.  In order to help out the situation, because at this point Laney was pouting…something she is very good at…I reminded her the REAL reason we celebrate Christmas (and Easter).  She immediately said, “JESUS!”  I told her she was right.  I told her that even tho things like Santa are fun and we could still pretend and have fun, that Santa was actually a distraction from the real reason of Christmas.  After I explained it, she was okay.  Needless to say I had no intention of this happening this morning.  In a way I was very sad and also glad.  What do you do in your family with Santa and the Tooth Fairy?  Do your kids still believe?

    Last night it started snowing.  I was looking at the snow and loving it but I really needed to go to bed.  Corey suggested I go out and take some photos.  It was midnight.  And cold.  I didn’t want to go out.  But I did.  I was freezing.  And LOVING IT!  Do you ever feel that way about something?

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    On to the next thing…there is a new digi kit at DDE.  It’s called Crisp Fall Day.

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    Here are a couple of layouts I did with this kit.

    Leaves

    EldoradoCanyon

    And last but not least…if you have stuck with reading this entire post…I made it on to the next round of the My Scrapbook Art Ultimate Artist contest with this layout.  Total surprise…and looking forward to the next challenge which is being revealed tomorrow!

    November
    1

    I love my girls and how silly they are.  But sometimes I just want a good photo of the two of them…when it comes to special event time.  So the deal is…I get one good serious pose…then I’ll take a bunch of photos of them being silly.  Mostly it works out in their favor rather than mine.  I wish it wasn’t so…but I guess that is “real life” around here and I’d rather have them be silly than unhappy. ;D  This year’s photos were inside because it was so chilly and snowy outside. ;D

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    I put together a layout of some of the photos I took of Laney out in the snow yesterday.

    SnowAngel

    grunge frames, wings, grunge alpha, acrylic flower, buttons, circle stamps JMDesigns
    flower, acrylic brad Embrace Fei Fei’s Stuff + Paislee Press Designs
    circle stamp Circle It No.2 Anna Aspnes
    journal circle stamp Journaling Brushes-n-Stamps Katie Pertiet

    grunge frames, wings, grunge alpha, acrylic flower, buttons, circle stamps JMDesigns
    flower, acrylic brad Embrace Fei Fei’s Stuff
    circle stamp Circle It No.2 Anna Aspnes
    journal circle stamp Journaling Brushes-n-Stamps Katie Pertiet
    October
    31
    Posted by: jen on October 31st, 2009    Filled in: Asides, Ava, Daily Life, Holidays, Laney, Outdoors, Photography, extraordinary moments

    The kids are out playing in the snow.  Building a snowman.  Throwing snow balls.  Eating snow.  It doesn’t feel like Halloween.  It feels like Christmas.

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