Where does the time go?

I just can't seem to keep this blog up to date! You would think that I have tons to talk about but I don't. Life just seems to take hold and before you know it, it's December.

I'm working on my layouts with my Novemeber kit from The Scrapping Nook! I love the paper we were given this month. I would love to post a peek but I haven't taken a photo of the one layout I have completed thus far.

November brought some changes on the scrapping front for me. After one glorious year designing for an amazing company, they decided that they were not going forward into 2008 with a design team. I was extremely sad that I wouldn't be a part of the team anymore but Cosmo Cricket and the people behind it are wonderful. I was so honoured to be a part of the team and will value the friendships I have made as a result of being on such a close knit team. Thanks Cosmo!

Wendy at Gel-a-tins brought out some amazing new Holiday stamps and I'm still in the process of making my Christmas cards as we sit here today (insert embarassed face here). Both sets of stamps are a build-your-own set and very versatile! I love the Holiday postage one. So vintage looking! I hear that Wendy has some awesome stuff up her sleeve for CHA winter as well! Can't wait for those designs. Creativity will be oozing I'm sure!

I took my first exam for the Web Design certificate I'm enrolled in at the local college here. I'm loving the program so far. I'm learning all kinds of things I didn't know before. Before I know it I will be a web design goddess! :) It was so weird walking through the halls of the college on the night of my exam. At 35, I feel young but man did I feel old walking those halls. My mom said that people probably just thought I was a teacher. Thanks mom!

A couple of weeks ago we went to the Steel City Safari here in Hamilton. It was an amazing show put on by the Reptile store and a bunch of other community zoos and conservation organizations. There were amazing educational segments and the opportunity to get up close and personal with many animals. The kids had a blast. Grace was the usual dare devil and couldn't hold enough of the snakes and birds. These photos are her holding a couple of the snakes. She wasn't afraid one bit. In the photo with the funny face, Grace was told to make a face like she is afraid. Can you believe it? That snake was on her head! Simon wouldn't even touch the snakes. He did however touch the shells of the turtles (when they weren't looking). *snicker*



Christmas is in full swing here. I put the trees up on the weekend of the Toronto Santa Claus parade. That is my tradition. I love the trees so much so I try to optimize the length of time that they are up at our house. Now that we are in the new house I have room for both trees. One is actually in our bedroom since we have this really nice arched window in it and it looks so pretty from the front of the house at night. I will take some photos and post at a later date (Read: don't hold your breath).

I'm so thankful that my friend Patti's husband Ron made it through his surgery fine and is home now on the road to recovery. You are doing an amazing job my friend. What an amazing nurse you turned out to be! You had absolutely no need to doubt yourself and your abilities! The patience of a saint I tell you...that handbasket is going to be empty for quite a while! ;)

I bet you were wondering...

if I am still alive! I am...but I'm very, very tired! :) I was away at CHA from July 18th to the 23rd. We arrived home at 6pm. We were gone for almost six days but it always goes by so fast! I had so much fun being with my friends that I only get to see a few times a year! I miss you already Kerry! CHA is a lot of work but spending time with friends and hanging out after the show is always a ton of fun. Wendy had a great show (her best yet) and managed to out last many of us at night despite "her condition". Michelle, her usual cheery self, belting out the show tunes and quoting the movies. Natasha was great to have along...so young but I think she held up good with us crazy girls! My prairie girl Kerry is always a laugh to have around. Can you believe she didn't know that we have farms here in Ontario? I was laughing about this again yesterday as I drove by the tractor dealership on my way home from work. It was almost as bad as the "Regina, Calgary" quote of another friend of ours.

For the first time, we had to deal with a significant theft from the Gel-a-tins booth. Kerry made a wonderful altered tin that held her son's hockey medal proudly inside. Sadly, we returned to the booth on Saturday at the end of the show to realize that it had been taken. I just wish they would have left the medal for Kerry. There we were, standing in the booth all of us crying for Kerry. It was a hard day for us but poor Kerry had to go home to her son and tell him that the medal was stolen. So sad.

We moved into our new house on July 24th (the morning after I got back from Chicago) and we are still living in a house with half unpacked boxes everywhere! The good news is that we now have a new stove, fridge and microwave. It's good news because it has been a daily battle with the people we bought the appliances from. Daily phone calls since they just didn't show up on Tuesday. The bad news is our dishwasher was mysteriously cancelled without our knowledge or notice...so we have no dishwasher until next Saturday. I sense there will be quite a few more phone calls and letters written in the near future.

The kids have settled in well. I was worried about Grace because she never wanted to talk about the new house. It made her sad since she was going to be leaving all of her friends. We told her that everyone else in the neighbourhood was looking for a friend too and that she would meet some as soon as we moved there. Sure enough, we met little Jessica the day after we moved in. She is our backyard neighbour. I'm excited because she will be in Simon's class in the fall. So he will at least know someone when he starts school. It should ease the stress for both Simon and Mommy as well.

That's really all I have to say now...I hope I will update more frequently...but you know me, it will be sporadic at best I'm sure! :)