Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!(we are on vacation!!)

Hi all...thought I would say Hi from Ohio and let you all know we are on vacation from Dec 19-Jan. 4th! We will be in Ohio visiting our parents and family.

(Our oldest DS will be flying home to MD tom'w, please say a prayer for him!)

Pictures of what has been going on here...

Wow, its a-day-shy-of-a-month since I last blogged!
Well, its been a busy time here in the Spaulding home...homeschooling takes up alot of time...Thanksgiving here at our house...then there is Christmas preparations!

We had pie baking fundraiser for our church youth group. Here were two boys(our own) baking apple pies:






We had Thanksgiving dinner here at our home with 14 in attendance! Our good friends, the Dixons came over(they have 5 children),Seth's GF, Shellie and we celebrated all that God has blessed us with! Shellie, took photos of us for our Christmas card...but I will save that photo for another day! These are a few of the outtakes!


DD was in a Christmas play called "Two from Galilee" at our church. She did a beautiful job as an angel(a part of the worship dance troop)and she had a small part as a giggly girl!

There was someone who took video that I need to get a hold of, but this is the only photo I got of DD on the way home from their second and last performance. YES, those are sparkles on her face and her hair looked beautiful curled!



Last night we went to dinner with three couples...I teach Sunday School with the three wives:



Well, thats an update!! I am off to get my Christmas stuff done!!

She passed!

She was thrilled!(can you tell?!)

BIG day tom'w for DD!

She is going to try for her driver's license! She has WAY over 60 plus driving hours, been practicing her parallel paking and 3 point turn, has driven in rain and at night, and she did her 30 hours of class time and 6 hours of driving with the instructor. Be praying at 12noon on Weds...thats her time slot!

"SheetLoad's Blog Candy Blow Out"

Wow...nice prices offered over at Sheetload..check this out:

Check all about it here: http://sheetload.blogspot.com/
http://sheetload.blogspot.com/2008/11/november-blog-candy-blow-out.html

Happy Birthday, Seth!

(Photo taken at a recent fall festival that "Out of Darkness" performed at.)

Hard to believe that 20 years ago you were born!
We love you and are so proud of you.


Love ya,
Mom and Dad

Cr8tv inspiration

DD finished driving school...

These past two weeks have been busy with driving DD back and forth to her evening class at Driver's Ed! Glad that is over, now she has to drive with the instructor 6 hours and then she can go for her license. Not sure how I feel about that yet.

Then on Saturday, our church had a Harvest Festival outreach to the community. We ended up moving it indoors this year due to the rain. Looks like we still had a pretty good turn out...over 650 hot dogs were served. Our Family Life Center had 4 HUGE moon bounce type things and there was a rock climbing wall up in front of the church.(some climbed that in between rain bursts) There were games and prizes in several of the rooms and enough candy/baked goods to float a small ship!
I was so worn out..I went to bed early on Saturday night! 8pm! Did I get any pictures...no.

Sunday News

Well, we got good news today...our friend's (and neighbor) son is out-of-the-woods! Last Monday, at college in PA, our friend's son had a fever and was complaining of right sided abdominal pain. They worked him up and found it was appendicitis. So, at 11pm that night he had an uneventful surgery. Unfortunately, when they went to ex-tubate him, he fault them and he had apoxia and pulmonary edema...so they sedated him and he was on a vent since early Tuesday morning. Just got a call from his parents that he just got his tube out and he is talking! Thank the Lord!

Its Sunday!

Well, going to try post more often here...can't believe its been 2 weeks since my last post! Sheesh!

I am up and showered, just popped in some delicious homemade cinnamon rolls our DD made last night. She makes the BEST...and even though she had a long day, she made them for us! So, the wonderful smell is starting to waft through the house. We need to eat soon and be on our way to early service.

Wondering how oldest DS fared during the night. It got down to 40 during the night and they are tent camping! Brrrr! He and a bunch of church friends camped out here at this beach/park after a concert(where he and his band-Out of Darkness[2 Peter 2:9] played-located on the bottom right of this flyer....:

Feeling Scrappy got a facelift...

My dear friends at Feeling Scrappy now have a new look...Jayne, the owner, has a fun bunch of goodies she is giving away. Deadline is October 10th! Check it out!

This weekend was the Heirloom Stamp show...

Today, we went to the stamp show up in York, PA. Drove my neighbor, Barb and a new friend, Loretta, I met on this site Rubberstampchat . We also met up with Joanne, my friend from Cococat's Cardmaking.

It was a nice show...about 21 vendors. We ate a great lunch there, too...yummiest chicken wrap and Brickers fries (with vinegar on them, of course!) It was great to catch-up... another crafter took our photo(this from Loretta's camera):


~Barb, me, Loretta and Joanne is seated~

My faves are: Gary M. Burlin - EVERY ink pad, Coptic markers ,
The Stampsmith- COOL vintage stamps...also picked up a sheet of Elvis stamps(These *star* stamps are in their catalog, Not online)
Purrs and Pants- The CUTEST cat and dog stamps!
Class act- Had some really neat stuff called Angelina fibers! Had to buy a few!!(actually 4 colors...and my neighbor bought 4 different colors, so we could share!)

The newest booth there this year was: Sweet Impressions stamps - their parchment craft demo was awesome...however, I had already spent way to much and decided to hold off purchasing the tools and stamps needed to do this parchment craft till maybe Christmas! I did buy a cute baby stamp though!

There were other place we looked and drooled at, but I had to rein in my credit card and STOP spending...Christmas is a comin!

It was a fabulous day...got home and was soooo tired. Went to bed early!

October fun and PRIZES at Cococat's Cardmaking site!

We are having a One Year BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION over at Cococat's Cardmaking starting October first and running the whole month. Various challenges will be posted and prizes!!(and who doesn't like those!!)

Please join in and register here(if you haven't already!)
http://fleurdelispizza.com/cardmaking/index.php

Our mini movie...

Our fieldtrip to Larriland Farm

Good weekend...

Had a good weekend, but it went by too fast though!
We have a yahoo group in our area called "Freecycle" where you can list stuff for free and people come and take it. Someone had listed an antique (student-like) desk...and my DH went and picked it up. Its wood and in great shape....just cleaned it up and now trying to decide what crafts to store in the three drawers! Yes, I am still re-organizing in my craft room.

Tonight we head out to dinner with a couple we have known over 25 years. We both celebrated out 25th anniv. this year. They took us our for ours this past April and we are taking them out to Carrabas tonight!

Have a blessed week!

Thanks Peggy(scrappinpeg)!!

Sept. Goings On...

We are into our 3rd week of school here...and we ALL are getting adjusted to the schedule.
(even me!)

School has started!

Yep. we *eased* into our first day yesterday! Our kids are 6th, 9th and 11th grades this year. Our oldest is finishing up his last quarter at community college and will hopefully have an Associates degree in Computor Information Systems by Christmas.

We got our scheduling done and started the day off with Bible devotions and then right into math!
Slave driver , I know! LOL!

Anyway, just reflecting...we have at least 6 more years of schooling left till we graduate our youngest. Where have the years gone? We cherish each one.

Cool thing...I got my first 2 yards of fabric from my first ever fabric Co-op.
http://www.fabriccoop.com/

Cozy Crop was a blast!

Five of the six of our group were able to meet up at Stampede...a rubber stamp shop in York, PA. (Laurie, Joanne, me, Peggy and Starr...Shari was heading in from NJ, unfortunately she couldn't meet us here)

Here we are at a local Amish Family style restaurant...not a low-cal meal, for sure!

A couple of projects...this first was a cool make 'n' take from Peggy (our Georgia Peach)...
she shipped up all the supplies to Starr , her sister, before she flew up to Delaware. She taught us how to make this using a pocket folder and some awesome CTMH stamps, papers and inks.
Thanks, Peggy!!

This was a scrapbook page that was waiting for me to complete from my first weekend crop I went to on the Eastern shore of MD. Finally finished-used my Cricut with Shari's 'Zoobaloo' cart and painted with my H2Os) Now to finish the journaling!

Looking forward to next years...Sept 10-13th, 2009!

Cozy Crop is almost here!

Been busy with getting the kids hither and yon the past few weeks...now its the momma's turn!

Tom'w morning I head up to Lancaster, PA to meet up with 5 other friends. We met online at a cardmaking website a few years ago and I arranged for us to get together at a house in Lancaster made just for crops. We met up last year and we are doing it again tom'w through Sunday!

Whats kinda cool is we are all coming from out-of-state!
Indiana, New Jersey, Delaware, Georgia and two from Maryland

I am so excited we are able to plan this and get together again! Look forward to seeing the girls again!

See you in a few days!

Ohio Vacation '08

BFF

Wow, thanks to Colleen for the awesome recognition! You know I appreciate you and all my readers!

The rules for the "Blogging Friends Forever" award are:
* Only five people allowed
* Four have to be dedicated followers of your blog
* One has to be someone new or recently new to your blog or lives in another part of the world.
* You must link back to whoever gave you the award.
* The winner can put the logo on his/her blog.

The sad news is, I can only choose five. :-(

Michele- Stamping Sigma
Tammy- Life on Possom Trot
Rach- Dutch Femka
Cheryl-Scrappy Cat
Benita-Benita's Happenings

Home again, home again, jiggitty-gig!

Yes, we made it back from Ohio last Weds. and I am slowly but surely getting back into the swing of things. What was so great about our trip...no accidents requiring a ER trip OR a vehicle breaking down! So, its wonderful to home, but at the same time wishing to be back visiting my mom and in-laws. YKWIM!?

Got pictures to load up here from our time in Ohio...will do that tom'w!
Oh, all right.... here is a sneak peak...on our way to Ohio...
DD didn't want her pic taken.(thats the back of her head) Dad couldn't be in the pic...he was driving!

CreationFest, July 4th, Dogsitting and Two Kids at Youth Retreat

There is alot to catch you up on...Have fun viewing the slideshow... (below this post)

Oldest DS attended Creation again this year with his College/Career group and his GF.

We had July 4th at home...our deck picnic got rained out...

Our oldest DS is house and dog sitting for friends this week, our two middle teens are at Youth retreat down in Ridgecrest this week...sure is quiet around here with only our youngest here!

We are getting ready to head to Ohio for vacation from the 12th-23rd...so there is alot of laundry and packing to do. Our two at camp will just be getting in late on Friday night...so there will be their laundry to do then.

I am so looking forward to this break! See you all soon!

DS @ Creation Fest '08

Middle son's boo-boo

So, I am coming out of Sunday School class into our church sanctuary and DS's Sunday School teachers come up to tell me our 14yo had a boo-boo in class today during an object lesson.
DS and another boy were stretching those bungey-type cords/slingshots. Well, they apparently stretched it a bit too far...it broke and it lashed back at DS arm and his stomach.(thank the Lord, it didn't hit his face!)
He put on a brave face...that had to hurt!!But he gets his pain tolerance from his momma!
ADDENDUM: This healed up nicely...can't even see it now. I told him no more playing with bungy cords!

Look what I finished last night...

I had a tea towel kit I finished thanks to my online friend, Paige, and her encouragement at Cr8tvEveryday Crafts!

Be nice to me...

I gave blood today!!(actually yesterday!) That was what my lil' sticker says.
Its been 19 yrs since I donated blood to the Red Cross. They set up outside my DD's library she works at...and as I was dropping her off to work yesterday, I noticed the sign and decided to go in. It was the first time they had set up at this library. They will be retuning in August.(which is when I will beable to donate again)
I am an RN by profession(on a LONGGGGG maternity leave, since our last child is now 11!) and had always given blood when I was working. But, had got to busy to do it while raising kiddos.

I plan to do this regularly...funny DS asked me, "Did you get paid, Mom?". I I had to explain to him they don't pay you now...but someday, one of our family or friends will need blood and someone will pay us back then with their donation.
My son's thought it was cool I gave blood...LOL.

So, this is to encourage those that CAN give blood...please do, its important!

Shopping/Father's Day and DS's 14th BD

wow...where did the weekend go!

Finally able to get back here...was busy with teen stuff, Father's Day and DS turned 14.

DD needed to go shopping...had fun doing that. I hate shopping for clothes these days, but it was fun watchin her try on stuff. My faves was the pink and blue bermuda shorts...you see, she doesn't like pink much. BUT she let me buy them and now she wants more bermudas!

Then usually we go out to eat for Father's Day, but DH requested Jambalaya...so had to hit the grocery store after church(while he was spending his Father's Day gift on baseball cards at a local show!) Finally, we ate at 7pm and then went for a nice walk...the weather cooled off and it was a great evening!

Then yesterday was our middle DS's 14th! His older brother and GF took him and their younger brother to Six Flags as his birthday present! They had a blast...can you tell...(birthday boy in in the front w/older bro...they were making fun at the bird poo... DS's GF in back seat with our younger son....can you see who is the photo ham of our family!?

On Monday, we had one of our trees(see below picture and notice the ivy covered tree where it brke off from) broke a HUGE limb...and it was our youngest that saw it. We have such nice foilage...it was hard to see. Surprised our neighbor didn't say anything, since it was half in their yard on one of their smaller tree/bush? They don't get out much in their backyard, I guess, to notice.
NO chainsaw to cut it apart...we started out to get it across the fence and then try to chop what we could and drag the rest to the back of our yard. My DH and his brute strength got-er-done with the help of a big 13yoDS, Momma, 16yoDD and 11yoDS.(Strong 19yoDS was out w/his GF! Figures!) We had to wrap the chain around the base of the tree and finally got it over the fence without tearing it up. We finished just before dark...in 90 degree heat at 9pm at night!
The boys spent some time yesterday hetting the branches chopped off before dragging it back in the yard.(Oldest Ds did the major sawing...we ruined two hand saws.)

Father's Day is coming up...I should buy DH a chain saw, but how often do you need one??

We finished school!

Yea! We finished school last Friday...but will throughout the summer continue to the 3Rs. That way it won't be so hard come August and it takes on the average 6 weeks to to review.

My week started out busy...since our church has a HUGE kitchen and is under the Health Dept...we have to have a Food Service Manager in the kitchen whenever it is being used. I volunteered, because the kitchen committee would like someone from each *ministry* to take the 6 hour class to get certified, so no one person is over burden with always being there.

So, Monday evening I drove down to sit in the 3 hour class with Ali. The subject, "Food Safety" can be boring...but he is an awesome teacher! Plus, it kinda scares you into eating OUT less. (not going into any other details) He showed us some films and told us true stories. It was a wake-up call...to be more safe in our own home even!

Tuesday, was the used book sale with my home school group. My 13yo DS agreed to help me...so we loaded up books and stuff and spent several hours over there..made a total of $87. Not alot, but we cleaned out my shelves abit of books that we won't re-read. I keep my classics and books that were special to the kids when they were young.

I was to have my second FSM class tonight...but we had a severe storm come through here and they canceled it. That will be re-scheduled hopefully soon. We have to take a 50 question test and I don't want to forget what I learned Monday!!

Poor hubby hasn't had a nice meal for two nights...so I am off to make him steak, mashed potatoes and asparagus! Then I need to get my craft room cleaned up and an image swap mailed out!

Watching Dee demo @ Angela's Happy Stamper

Memorial Day at Flag Ponds State Park

Wow...its been awhile!

Lets see if I can catch you up...

Mother's Day...we had a lovely dinner out at the Longhorn Steak House(I was craving steak and NO I am not pregnant!)

To celebrate my special day, my dear hubby is letting me go on a scrapbook weekend in August(and with the price of gas...thats going to cost some moola!)

Our two younger sons, gave LOTS of hugs and kisses and did *extras for me throughout the day for my Mother's day gift.

DD bought me this purse(my other was old and HEAVY!)

DS made this adorable coupon book...yes, he is 19 and is not ashamed to make

his mother a coupon book! Here are some of the pages:

It was a lovely Mothers Day!