New Scraproom!

I've been busy moving and re-arranging things from our spare room that will now be my new scraproom! I'm so excited! I decided on Sweet Blush for the walls, with white trim! It's all cleaned out now (I have phoned the children to come and get all the things they've left over here in the past year that got stuffed into the spare room!) Don's going to roller paint it for me tomorrow and then we'll hang my white shelves tomorrow evening! I can hardly wait. I'll be sure to post some pics once it's complete (hopefully in the next couple of days). I'm ready to get back to scrapping!

Jenn

ABCs of Me!

ABC’s of Me!
I found this on Karen Pederson’s blog -http://karenpedersen.blogspot.com/2009/05/abcs-of-me.html while surfing my favorites tonight and had to join in on the fun!
You can participate too - just copy and paste this list of questions and change to your answers and post it on your blog with a link to mine – http://sharingmysweetlife.blogspot.com. Then leave a comment here so I’ll know you’ve done it, including your blog address and I’ll visit and learn more about you!!
ABC’s of Jenn ~
Age: 43
Bed size: Queen
Chore you hate: folding laundry
Dad's Name: James
Essential start your day item: E-mail
Favorite actor(s): Kevin Costner, Julia Roberts, Sandra Bullock, Denzel Washington, Jennifer Aniston, Meg Ryan, Tom Hanks
Gold or Silver: Silver
Height: 5’7"
Instruments you play(ed): Piano (I’m the pianist at my church, my mom’s the organist, and my dad is the assistant Music Leader!!!)
Job title: Close to My Heart Supervisor (fun JOB!), Information Systems Coordinator / Application Support (Home Health agency) – my day JOB!Kid(s): Jaime, Alison (daughter-in-law), Jessica, Alex (son-in-law), Amber, Mike (son-in-law), and Josh
Living arrangements: own a home in Quitman, Mississippi and live with my husband, Don and our one remaining child at home (who graduated Friday night from High School and will be commuting to Junior College in the fall !!)
Mom's name: Patricia (mama, Mrs Pat, Granny, Aunt Pat, Shug (to my daddy!)
Nicknames: Red (wonder why??) But mostly I’m called Jenn.
Overnight hospital stay other than birth: tonsillectomy at 18, near fatal DVT (Deep Vein Thrombosis) after major blood transfusion following still-birth of my last baby in 1997 (story for a later time).
Pet peeves: Loudness/Obnoxiousness
Quotes you like: If you don’t stand up for something, you’ll fall for anything.
Rightie or Leftie: Rightie
Siblings: one sister, Theresa
Time you wake up: 6:30 am (clock is actually set for 6:00 but I have to snooze a couple of times!! – my husband HATES this!)
Umbrella: yes
Vegetable you dislike: tomatoes
Ways you run late: too much time spent on the CTMH Bulletin Boards as well as surfing blogs! Plus I’m OCD about some things so before I leave the house, I have to check all the bathrooms and the kitchen to make sure nothing's left plugged in – I check at least 3 times before I leave and have sometimes gotten in my truck and cranked up, only to unlock the door and go BACK in to check again!! WEIRDO!!
X-rays you've had: left foot and left hand after tripping over the baby’s stroller in my office
Yummy food you make: All my Pampered Chef recipes!! My family’s favorite is the Taco Ring and Chicken Broccoli Braid. We also have a great recipe for Chicken Roll-ups that are their absolute favorite. Plus they say I make a ‘mean’ home-made Spaghetti!
Zodiac: Aquarius

Jenn

It's a Guy Thing Layout - 9x9

Look at these sweet boys!! They had a play-date at our favorite park, Clarkco State Park, and I just had to use the pictures in a layout for my 'GRANDchildren' album. It's a 9x9 album so I used 2 patterns from Reflections Scrapbook Program and reduced the measurements to accomodate. These are the only 2 pages I got done today but I'm planning to use several more photos of their fun that day to another layout this week.

Supplies used:

from Reflections Scrapbook Program book:

Sidebar - Quartet (used the 3rd alternate layout) for the left side

Title Topper - Photos (used the master layout) for the right side

It's a Guy Thing Paper Pack

Headline Alphabet Large

Field Trip Alphabet

Barn Red Ink Pad

Cocoa Ink Pad

Cocoa Grosgrain Ribbon

Photo Hangers

Foam Texture Tool

My Legacy Writer Pen (.08)

There are several more fun pics of their activities that day and I plan to add a couple more pages to incorporate them in.

I'm actually off work tomorrow and am taking 2 vacation days this week (have to use them or lose them since my anniversary date is coming up and I still have 4 days left!) and I plan to scrap, scrap, scrap!!! I'm so excited!

Jenn

My Partner in Life!

I'm so blessed to be sharing my life with my soul mate, my husband, Don! He's a Christian, a hard-working provider, a loving dad and a great husband. He's a big cuddly bear that everyone loves to get hugs from!! Besides my Lord, Don is my rock. He loves me as Jesus does, unconditionally, and I'm so grateful. We've seen lots of bad times but even MORE good times! We're a blended family and along with that ARE some hard bumps in the road - but because we kept God at the center of our marriage and family, we've made it through.

* I was a single mom, raising my two children, Jaime and Jessica, whom you've already met in previous posts, and he was a single dad, wanting and needing to obtain custody of his 2 small children. God had such wonderful plans for us and in 1997 we became one big happy family! Amber was 8 and Josh was 6. We were granted custody of them in January 1998 and I became 'mama' to 2 additional children!! Their mom was going through some stuff and felt she could not take care of them at that point so she asked me if I would take her children and raise them along with their daddy and of course I said "YES!!". She made that decision because she loved them very much but was in no position to care for them at that time.

* Amber and Josh are now 17 and 19 and have always been just as much my children as are Jaime and Jessy - I just didn't give birth to them. This is Josh a couple of months ago - he hates for me to take his picture!! He is so handsome and such a fine young man! He graduates High School this Friday night! He will be attending Junior College in the fall, pitching on the baseball team!! We're so excited - he's been playing baseball since T-Ball and is a fantastic pitcher.

Amber is here on the left in this picture - she and Jessica shared 2 pregnancies!! Her two baby girls, Raley and Autumn, and Jessica's last 2, Cooper and Madalyn were born within a couple week of each other's. It was a blast!! Amber is a beautiful young lady and has an awesome voice! She also played 5 instruments while in the band in High School. She's a great young mom to her 2 precious girls and I'm so proud of her.

So you've briefly met my immediate family and now know the inspiration behind my passion for photography and scrapbooking!

Now I'll begin posting more artwork!!

Jenn

A more current picture of me!!

** Several people have commented that I look young to have grown children plus grandchildren!! But as I stated in a reply to one of the comments, the picture I chose for my profile pic was the only one I was not too embarrassed to post and I needed something quick for my blog. That picture was actually several years ago and at a very happy time in my life. I've sinced gained alot of weight due to some health issues and I've lost alot of hair as well (and of course, I've grayed some too!!! What do you do for natural red hair that's graying??) So I don't let anyone take pictures of me very much and if they do, I pretty much try to hide them.

** But I didn't want to seem dishonest because that's not my intention - I actually DO still look exactly the same EXCEPT for the weight gain and thinner hair!! SOOOOOOOOOOOOO, I'm posting a more current picture of me - actually last year. That day, I had tried straightening my 'naturally kinky' hair with the big fat curling iron and you see how it turned out. I kind of liked it but once I stepped outside in the humid Mississippi air, it frizzed right up!!! So I don't straighten it much - just let it be natural and curly. And I guess I couldn't conjure up a smile for anything!!

** I want to lose weight so badly and actually started Nutri-system last year. It was wonderful, I enjoyed the food and I honestly stuck to it. I didn't cheat AT ALL. The first month, I lost 15 pounds, the second month, I lost 12 pounds. Then it got to be too expensive with me still having to buy groceries and cook for my hungry family!! I had to make the hard choice to cut out spending somewhere and it had to be there. I was so disappointed because it was the only thing I had every tried that actually worked for me. I was doing it with a buddy and that made it even better.

** It is SO HARD to lose weight the old way - limit your portions, stay away from sweets, fried foods, processed foods and sodas, increase water and walk 100 miles every day!! I've even tried to sweet talk my hematologist into some popular weight loss pills, and he let me know real quick that due to my health issues, I was crazy for even asking or considering!! Then he proceeded to break down a meal plan for me and showed me some exercises to do and just thought that I would whip out a magic stick and cast a spell on myself!!! At that point, that's what I thought it would take to get me to stick to it and lose weight that way. I know it takes will power and determination and I haven't had that. The 'want to' is there but no 'get up and go' about it. So it's my fault.

** But it's been 'weighing' (no pun intended!!) heavily on my mind for a couple of weeks that I really do need to suck it up and get on a good diet and exercise plan and get this weight off of me. For my health and for me. I want to feel better physically and feel better about myself. I want to be IN PICTURES with my family, not just always TAKING them.

** Ok, well that's off my chest and you can see what I look like now!!! I think I'll leave my profile pic up for encouragement to myself. Don't get me wrong, I'm still 'happy'. I have a wonderful life and a precious family whom I adore - I just don't smile as much BECAUSE of how I feel about MYSELF. But that's all about to change!! Time to stop being so negative about jennifer and do something to change what I CAN change. The age doesn't bother me at all. I'm proud to be 43 - don't even mind the gray hair (just want to KEEP it all!!) I just NEED to lose weight and get healthy again. And I'm GOING to do it! Whisper a prayer for me??!!

I plan to post some artwork tomorrow night if I make it in from work at a decent time. I got inspired by some beautiful pictures in a 'Southern Accents' magazine that I saw at my Doctor's Appointment today and even sketched out how I wanted to do it!! Remember, I don't go anywhere without my Idea Book and a notebook/pen!!

** Well, if you stuck with me through to the end here, thanks for listening!!! Just got started and didn't know when to quit, I guess!!

** Until tomorrow,

Jenn

Thank You Card Set - 3x3s

I'm posting my artwork for the first time! I began this little project last month when I wanted to have some smaller 'Thank You' cards to hand deliver to someone instead of mailing the bigger size. I had seen a picture in the SplitCoastStampers Gallery of something similar - it was made using a clear 6x6 memory protector but it was for Christmas and had Christmas 'To' / 'From' tags in it. I took that idea and made the little holder for my 3x3s!! Colors used are: Sorbet, Creme Brulee, Tulip and Colonial White. Embellishments include the Designer Brads - Pewter, Sparkles and Colonial White Grosgrain ribbon. I'm really thinking the flap on the holder needs something else but I was at a loss. Someone help!! Give me some ideas on what else I could do to the flap ~

(This was fun ~ I've been so nervous about posting my project but it wasn't so bad!!)

Jenn

Meet my oldest daughter and her sweet family!

Meet Jessica, Cooper, Nicholas and Little Madalyn

Of course we couldn't get all 3 of the babies to look at the camera at the same time!! Her husband, Alex was at work on the rig so they spent the night with me and we had a 'photo-shoot' ~ with not much cooperation!!

Nick is 4 yrs old and about to graduate from Pre-K! We went to his award program yesterday and he received a 'Super Student' award for excellent behavior. He has also been the "Student of the Month" 2 months this school year AND was the Kindergarten Homecoming King and rode on the float during the Homecoming Parade!! Cooper is 20 months and 'all boy' ~~ he's into EVERYTHING - keeps us on our toes! He wakes up smiling and smiles all day!! And of course, you've already met Madalyn Claire! She's 4 1/2 months now and just coo-ing and singing and squealing away!! I can hardly even get dressed for work in the mornings when she stays the night with me, for stopping to snap pictures or video that precious voice!!

Jessica and I are very close and I get to spend a lot of time with her children, which is such a blessing! My children have always been close to my mom and dad as well, and still are. We're a very close-knit family and I'm so grateful for that.

Jessica is fortunate to be able, at this point, to be a Stay-at-Home-Mom. Alex works in the oil field so she has the child-rearing by herself for 2 weeks at a time every month. She's an awesome mother (she's only 20 yrs old) and I'm so very proud of her! AND, she's my new down-line who's getting prepared to have her first workshop at this end of this month.

I just wanted to introduce my family, one part at a time, so that when I get to posting my artwork, (hopefully very soon!!), there's a little background!! I'm so loving my new blogging hobby!! I just don't get to post as often as I had hoped right now due to big projects at my day-job. But I've met all my dead-lines for the annual projects so now maybe I'll have more free time to create and post!! I still relax in my recliner every evening for about an hour 'following' blogs of fellow stampers/scrapbookers!! I'm addicted to say the least. There are SO MANY talented women out there and I love seeing their artwork and reading about their lives!

Jenn

Happy Mother's Day to all Moms!!

This is my oldest son, Jaime and his wife Allison.

** Being a mother is my greatest joy!! I'm blessed with 4 children and 6 grandchildren!! We're so fortunate that we all live within 20 minutes of each other, now that my oldest son Jaime is home from the Marines. They were stationed at Camp LeJeune, NC. He served 4 years, with 2 Tours of Duty to Iraq. When they became pregnant with Kameron and the initial 4 years were up, they made the decision to make their home here in Mississippi. Ally is from Tennessee and travels there often to visit her family. This is the most current picture I have of Jaime and Ally and it was in March this year.

** And their precious son is Kameron who is definitely a daddy's boy!! I have to brag a little - Jaime is an awesome father, but I always knew he would be. He's blessed ~ Ally is a great mom as well and I'm so very proud of both of them. Here's little Kameron ~ taken the same day. He's 17 months old and I'm sure he will be a talker like his mom and his mammy (me!) because he jibber-jabbers all the time!! Kameron has the BEST kisses!! He's beginning to get a little stingy with them though!

** So, you've met my 'first-born' and his little family ~ tomorrow I'll transfer some more pictures to my laptop and introduce you to my second gift from God', Jessica and her family.

** Oh yeah, I actually DID get creative tonight with a home-made gift for my mama. Not only am I blessed to BE a mother, I'm so blessed to have been born to a wonderful, loving, Christian mother. She's raised not only my sister and me, but helped us with our children and has even opened their home to other children not as fortunate as we are. She's 'Shug' (short for sugar) to my daddy, 'Mama' to my sister and me, and 'Granny' to our children and ALL of their friends. I wasn't totally happy with how my creation turned out but I plan to give it to her tomorrow after church then take it back to re-do!! I'll post a picture of it then and share it and the story behind it. My husband and my daddy thought it looked great and daddy said mama would love it but I want to re-vamp!!

** Well, I guess I've rambled on and on once again!! As I said before, I'm a talker!!

Until next time,

Jenn