Lots of stuff.

I finally got the kids together and took the annual Christmas photo. Took lots but someone was always blinking or looking away or something. My first favorite has the reflection of the flash in the mirror and it is pretty bright. This is another fav though. This is them all natural goofy smiles and all.

I have great intentions for this table. I got it for free. One leg is off. However, I plan to put the leg back on, sand it down, and paint the bottom portion black and then stain the top a dark wood color. Now I say these are my intentions because I always start projects and dont' always finish them. But I really want to do this one. I may go all black on it, or all wood, haven't for sure decided yet. Nice table though. Then I plan to move the coffee table we have now into my scrap closet. Will have to put taller legs back on it first. But should be no problem on that end.

This is the email I got a short time ago. I sent in my fax and now I am desperately waiting for my goodies to come in the mail. The prize is for $200.00 in scrapbook goodies. OH MY GOSH. I am so excited. I cannot hardly wait. I cannot wait to share what I exactly get.

Dear Nicole,
Congratulations! You’re a winner in Simple Scrapbooks’ “Fake Ad” Sweepstakes featured in the Sep/Oct issue of Simple Scrapbooks magazine. We apologize for the delay in notifying you, as we experienced a technical problem with our network.

In order to ship your prizes, please fill out the attached Affidavit, and fax it back within ten (10) days to 801-816-8302, Attn: Carolyn Jolley. Please make sure that you list your street address, as we will ship your prize to this address, and cannot ship to a P.O. Box.

Sincerely,
Carolyn Jolley
Editorial Assistant
Simple Scrapbooks magazine

I created this recently. I was inspired by something I saw in one of the magazines. I think it was CK January 08 issue.

Marcus made honor roll last week. He was so excited.

Here are our Christmas cards that I still have not finished mailing out. I need to get more stamps.

Well we had a good Christmas. Jacob unfortunately had to work, so we got up really early (us at 445 and the kids at 5am). We took Jacob to work and then we went to my moms for a while. We had a nice ham and scalloped potatoes for lunch. Opened presents and realaxed. We went straight to pick up Jacob. We dropped that load off at home and went to his moms for a bit. Ate a bit more over there and opened gifts. Then we came home and relaxed. Well ok we had to start finding a home for all of our new toys and stuff.

Off to meet Michelle at the mall to spend my $40.00 Victoria Secret Gift Card and pick up the boys. We are really going so the kids can spend (Ryan, Marcus, Brandon and Savannah) can spend their $75.00 in Pac Sun gift cards)

Happy Creating.

My Christmas Present.

I couldn't go on without posting a picture of my Christmas present from Jacob. A puppy. I have always wanted to get a puppy as a gift and I finally did. She is so darn cute. I have yet to name her, I am trying to get a feel of her personality first. I love her so much.

Can you tell that there is someone else who loves her too? Actually all the kids do. I will have to take a picture of her entire body to show how fluffy she really is.

Almost a month???

Wow it has been almost a month since I last blogged. Time sure flies. I keep telling myself I need to get on here, and then another week is gone by. I have been so busy trying to get ready for Christmas. I am still not done shopping. Just a few little things left and then I am done.

A few years ago I had decided that I wanted to collect everything gingerbread men for our Christmas decorations, however it was so hard to find. So I just pretty much gave up. I never really thought about collecting anything else. But this year when I was looking around at our decorations, I realized I have alot of santas. So I guess I have always been collecting santas, because I am always drawn to them. Here are some of them.

I finally got the kids together to do their Christmas pictures. I knew they all had brown shirts so that is what we went with. Always have to take a million to get a good one.

That is all I have time for today. I have so many other things I want to post too. I have some cute ornaments that I made, and a wall hanging that I was inspired to make. Maybe later today I will find some more time.

Lots of Layouts

Well time sure flies I swear. Where has the time gone since I last blogged??? Well I just have been meaning to post some of my favorite layouts. I just kept running out of time. So here is a bunch of them.

The scorpion

Yes this is what was on our wall just outside the front door on Sunday evening. We got home from the grocerry store and the lights were off (keep forgetting it gets so dark early now). So we came in and the kids brought in the bags. I turned on the porch light only to see this on the wall. OH MY GOSH!!!!!!!! A scorpion. Jacob caught it in an old baby formula can. FREAKED me out. Kind of like the snake on the walk way just after we moved in.

On another note. Our cars were broken into AGAIN last night. Same thing happened about 2 weeks ago. Again nothing was taken. Just everything in the glove boxes and center consoiles were taken out and gone through. The police came and took a report. Said they had to go down the street becasue the same thing happened last night to another car, and nothing taken there either. Strange. The cop said he thinks it is probably some punk kids since not even the gift cards from his wallet were taken. Just all over the truck. Strange, but glad that nothing was taken.

Well cleaned the house yesterday. Today I want to catch up on loads of laundry. I actually only have about 2 loads left. However I have about 3 to still fold. So I want to do that and get in some scrapbooking today. We will see. I also have a cranky 2 year old running around here today. Hopefully he will take a nap soon.

Until next time.

~Nicole~

Halloween and other stuff.

How is it that Halloween was almost a week ago already??? Where does the time go sometimes? Here are some pictures from Halloween.

Ryan was a vampire. Here is Uncle Daniel doing his makeup.

Marcus was a scary skeleton.

Baby Jacob was a not scary skeleton.

Baby Caleb was a penguin. He filled out the costume so well and looked just like a penguin. :)

I was unable to get a photo of all the kids together becuase Jacob was terified of Marcus costume so we didn't even try. Oh well. I got them each indiviually though.

This is the only mark from my car accident last Tuesday. I think it is so....I don't even know the words. It is the perfect shape of a heart. I don't even know what I scratched it on??? But yes a perfect heart. Just dealing with the insurance now. Have to call her insurance since it was her fault. Great joy.

Working on some fun scrapbook stuff. Making a BoBunny chipboard word book. Loving that.

Recipe Tuesday

1-2/3 cups hot water
1 pkg. (6 oz.) STOVE TOP Stuffing Mix for Chicken
1-1/2 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 can (10-3/4 oz.) condensed cream of mushroom soup **I USE CREAM OF CHICKEN**
1/3 cup BREAKSTONE'S or KNUDSEN Sour Cream
PREHEAT oven to 400°F. Add hot water to stuffing mix; stir just until moistened. Set aside.
PLACE chicken in 13x9-inch baking dish or 2-qt. casserole dish. Mix soup and sour cream until well blended; pour over chicken. Top with stuffing.
BAKE 30 min. or until chicken is cooked through.

** I also add lemon juice into the sour cream and soup mixture. It adds something and makes the sour cream not curdle when you cook it**

I will share some scrapbooking stuff hopefully later today. Until then Happy Creating.

Recipe Tuesday and the Pumpkin Patch

So this is what we had for dinner last night. Yummy Yummy Stew.

Beef Stew.


3 pounds of steak cut into cubes
2 cans of carrots [drained]
2 cans of corn [drained]
2 cans of green beans [drained]
5-6 potatos chopped into cubes.
1 Lg can of crushed tomoatoes
oil
House seasoning
{{House Seasoning: 1 cup salt 1/4 cup black pepper 1/4 cup garlic powder }}
3 pkgs of stew seasoning. (which ever brand you prefer)

Chop potatoes and bring to a boil. Drain.
Season the meat with the house seasoning . Coat with flour. Fry with a bit of oil. Combine all of the other ingredients into the crock pot. Follow the directions on the seasoning pkg as to how much water per package to use. Once the meat is done add the meat and potatoes. Simmer all day in the crockpot. Yum.

We went to the pumpkin patch last night and found a good pumpkin for the kids to carve. Ryan and Marcus did this one and the babies each had a tiny one.

Until next time.

Saw this on a blog. Thought it would be fun. So I stole it. :)

1. The best thing you cooked last week? Homemade chilli and cornbread. Yum with melted cheese on top.
2. If money, time and babysitting were no object, where would you go and with who? I would go with Jacob on a cruise....but I would want the kids to come too. A family vacation. Anywhere....Maybe Hawaii.
3. When was the last time you cried? Better question is when don't I cry. I am not one to hold back the tears that is for sure.
4. Five things you were doing this month 10 years ago. October 2007...wow I had just graduated from High School in June. We had just moved to Victorville. I believe in the month of October I had just gotten the job at Rancho Drugs. I was also attending VVC.
5. Five things on your to-do list today. Work, Grocerry Store, Vacuum, Scrapbook, Laundry, Clean up around the house.
6. Five favorite snacks. Anything really. I love ruffles with cottage cheese. Bad snacks would include m&ms.
7. Five Bad Habits. Cracking my knuckles, Not eating good, Leaving the cars on empty, not folding the laundry right away and it sitting in the basket for a few days, Yelling at people on the road.
8. Five favorite foods. Mexican, Italian, Chicken, Pizza, Jacobs steaks when he BBQs for me.
9. Five places I've travelled . Sacramento, San Francisco, Las Vegas, Oklahoma
10. Five Favorite Memories. The day both my children were born. Ryan and Marcus living with us full time. Jacob leaving me a bracelet in the fridge as a suprise. My dad. The late night trips Jacob and I would take to Jack in the box while I was pregnant with Baby Jacob.

Make Your Own Cake Stand

I read this on someones blog and it linked it to another. I thought it was pretty cool though. I think I might try this. Especially the ones made from the plastic stuff. Enjoy.


http://armellejewelry.blogspot.com/2007/03/make-your-own-cake-stand.html

Randomisms of Me

Ok I read on another blog that she just posted random things about herself. So I thought that would be cool since I am starting this out.

1. I like to eat Mac and Cheese with Ketchup on it. (and since got my kids to like it too)
2. I am secretly addicted to General Hospital and have been watching it since I was in the 7th grade.
3. I watch Oprah.
4. I am ADDICTED to Greys Anatomy.
5. I nag the kids on a daily basis to clean their room.
6. I yell at people on the road, and now Baby Jacob gets into the car and says "Come on People".
7. I often do all the laundry but don't fold it right away, and thus it stacks up in the laundry basket and eventually fold it.
8. I love rain storms.
9. I dream of a scrapbook room that is extra large...but still love the area I have now.
10. Would love to own a scrapbook store.. :)

It is official...

Well it is official. I have created a blog. I started it becasue of the blog I am doing for the store (Scrapbook Boulevard). So we will see where this adventure takes us.
Until next time.

Nicole