Vacationing

In case you think I am ignoring my blog...I am. BUT its because its near Christmas and we are heading to Ohio for vacation.

We go to visit my mom and in-laws every Christmas...and this year looks like we will have snow there, too. Be back soon.

Merry Christmas to all!!

We got our tree up!

All the kids were home(and DS's GF came to help, too)
We got it up and all the ornaments are hung! We have three weeks to enjoy this tree before we head to Ohio for vacation!

Here are a few photos...

A Giveaway...

at Scrap Obsess With Jess she reached 100 followers and wants to say THANK-YOU by giving away a brand new Martha Stewart Holidays "Punch Around The Page" set.

The giveaway is available through 12 noon CT on Nov 8th!

I have been given a blog award, including some great links to other blogs!

I was very sweetly given a blog award!!! Mary-Scrapbooking Grandma at Creating Memories gave it to me. Be sure and check out her blog! The rules are to pass this on to five people, and to also answer some questions only using one word. Plus, leave the people you choose a comment on their blog letting them know that have been awarded. So here we go:

I'm passing the award onto these blogs. Check 'em out!

Capadia Designs
Jenn-Scrappin Phlen
P-Kay-Creations by...P-KaySunshine
Rozette- See Fluufy Scrap
Michele-Scrap-n-Dance

Here's my answers to all the silly questions. All one word only.
1.Where is your cell phone? purse

2. Your hair? short

3. Your mother? Ohio

4. Your father? missed

5. Your favorite food? chocolate

6. Your dream last night? ?

7. Your favorite drink? Diet Pepsi

8. Your dream/goal? retirement

9. What room are you in? Familyroom

10. Your hobby? CRAFTS

11. Your fear? drowning

12. Where do you want to be in 6 years? here

13. Where were you last night? church

14. Something that you aren't? perfectionist

15. Muffins? blueberry

16. Wish list item? Cardstock

17. Where did you grow up? Ohio

18. Last thing you did? dessert

19. What are you wearing? PJs

20. Your TV? none

21. Your Pets? Cat

22. Friends? many

23. Your life? content

24. Your mood? happy

25. Missing Someone? no

26. vehicle? Sierra

27. Something your not wearing? jewelry

28. Your favorite store? craft

29. Your favorite color? blue

30. When was the last time you laughed? today

31. Last time you cried? month

32. Your best friend? DH

33. One place that I go to over and over? church

34. Facebook? yes

35. Favorite place to eat? ChickFilet

The winner was not me...oh well..

...BUT I have 133 family and friends that voted for me (I PM'd the Gypsy people to find out how many voted since they took the vote counter down during the contest)...I wanted to say THANK-YOU to all who voted for my project here:



In case you wanted to see the winners they are here... http://www.cricut.com/gypsy/designchallenge/

Please VOTE for me!

I enter the 24-Hr. Crciut Design Challenge here...
http://www.cricut.com/gypsy/designchallenge/entries.aspx?did=202

(I am also on page 5 if this link doesn't work)

~Please vote before midnight(28th-29th) the winner will be announced on October 30th!

Thank-you!

My New Cricut Gypsy!

NEVER have I bought anything from HSN or QVC...BUT I heard about the deal that HSN was offering on the Cricut board and I got carried away with the excitement! So, here is my EARLY Christmas present!
I got the Gypsy, a sleeve to put the Gypsy in, a cute black bag with shoulder strap, an ac charger, a car adapter, the cords to connect with the computer and the Cricut and the cord to link the cartridges to the Cricut. a Don Juan Cartridge and the Gypsey is pre-loaded with two other digital carts,,Gypsy Font and Gypsy Wanderings!.

It took me a whole evening to figure it out, as far as registering it and updating my Cricut Expression so I could even use the Gypsy on it. Thank goodness Cricut.com has such an awesome group of gals on the messageboard! Most have been been patient with PC as the *update* the Gypsy with some new stuff since the launch of the Gypsy.
So here is my new toy with its new skin(they are all black, but have these cute skins you can buy to cover them...) LOL! BTW, the wrist thing, I couldn't find the spot on the Gypsy where is was suppose to go...so I added it onto the stylist till I found the spot!



Here is the first cut I made using the Gypsy with my Cricut...

No Ugg boots yet??

LOL....well I haven't heard I have won, anyway. Oh well, I was going to give them to my DD...at 17yo, she would look better in them then me!

So, whats been happening here in the Spaulding house hold...school. We are getting ready to enter our 5th week of school. Seems to be going by fast. Might be because we have had lots to do...we went on a fieldtrip to Gettysburg the end of our first week and went to Philadelphia and Valley Forge last Friday.

I promise to get new photos up soon...but I just go my Cricut Gypsy today from HSN and am learning how to use it!

Circle of Friends

Isn't that so true... it's what all of us who visit each other's blogs & websites and oooh and aaah over the creativity we see, or read about the joy and sometimes sorrow in our lives... we are a "Circle of Friends".

Teza at Lost in Paper gifted me with this award. Thank you so much Teza!!

The terms of this particular award are: Make reference to award and publish it, disclose rules, share 5 things you like to do, share with 10 blogs, inform each blogger (simply right click on the "circle of friends" button and click on 'save picture as' and save the button to your desktop, you can then upload it just like any other photo into blogger).

So here are my five things:-
Spending time with family
Card making
Scrap booking
Reading
Connecting with my online friends!

I am sharing this award with the following bloggers, some I have known for several years, others are new friends. (I have all of your blogs on my Google reader, so I can always catch up with the *latest*) :

Michele- Stamping Sigma
Benita- Borrowman Family News
Teza- Lost in Paper
Ivanka- Ivanka's Card Studio
Tammy- Life on Possom Trot
Shari- My Crafty Obsession
Starr- Wish Upon a Starr
Sherri- I Love Flip Flops
Meg- Peacock Paperie
Colleen- Scrapping Granny

because they are a but a few I consider a part of my "Circle of Friends".

July Happenings...

Well, seems to me I should be posting more here since I am not homeschooling during the summer months...but I am finding other things to occupy my free time.
Got all the school books for last year put away and all the new ones out...thats a chore when you are schooling three kids and you have ALL the teacher keys, test/quiz booklets and the student editions!
Found a new Scrapbook website... Scrap Attack Scrapbooking
This site has some wonderful ideas to help motivate your scrapbooking or cardmaking!
Lots of creative folks here!!
Been catching up in my craft room...got a LOs (scrapbook layout) done last week.

Working on cards and laundry today...

Better today..thanks!

Been fever free for several days, just have a congestion and cough that want to hang on.
I need to go to the docs next week if I can't kick this cough. We leave to go on vacation the end of July and I don't want this hanging on.

Trying to re-learn how to crochet..funny when you are confined to the one comfortable recliner that we have, I want to crochet when I am sitting in it!

Instead of playing on the pc..can't stand to sit and type too long...I have been getting lots of gabbing with the kids, catching up on some reading, watching a few movies and missing our oldest DS.(yes, he is still at Creation Fest til tom'w!)

DD surprised me yesterday..she ran to the P.O. and library for me then came home with ChickFilet lunch and a Slurpie! What a sweetheart she was!

Well, need to get of here...getting tired and I need a glass of ice cold water!

Thank you for praying...I have been holding onto the last part of this verse:
Nehiamiah 8:10....

Sickie Here!

Been sick since last Friday when I woke with asore throat. Fever came on me on Saturday afternoon...High fevers, body aches, headache-off and on, coughing hard, runny nose breathing hard with exertion. (sounds like a nurse's note on her patient! LOL!) Sorry, maybe too much info for some of you! Then during a coughing jag yesterday, I threw my back out...so I am moving slowly and still coughing...but just a ow grade fever today.

Since I am feeling better..I am typing on my oldest DS's laptop while he is away to Creation 2009 in PA. (don't tell him, I need to be sure and scour the keyboard with bleach!)

I was suppose to be helping with VBS this week, my dear hubby and kids are covering for me...thank goodness for the youth at our church! They are getting the job done.
Its been fun to hear my hubby and kids come home with there aussie accents!

Anyway, just wanted those who view my musings, to know where I have been.
Good day `mates!

DS's 15th birthday!

I can't believe he is 15 today. Born 5 lbs 14 oz, 15 years ago...he is taller then everyone in out family! (he is just under 6 foot) His request for his bday. breakfast...chocolate chip pancakes...so he got 15 of them! Happy Birthday, Joel!

Got my haircut again....

Yep, I went with my friend Angie to get my haircut(her aunt is a stylist) and this is my second trip to her shop! Was just planning on a cut of my last style she gave me when I came across a cute bob in a mag DD had. Well, Ellen(my stylist) thought it would look great on me. Its a stacked bob...I haven't had it this short since DH and I got married!

Wow, big change in my looks in the past 4 months!

Made my first Cricut card!

I got the Wild Card Cartridge from Cricut and made my first card and envie!
Dear friends from church had an Open House for their kid's who were graduating HS and I needed cards...so here is what I came up with(click on picture to enlarge it)...

Stampin Up Club cards

Thanks Paula O. for another great night of card making! I loved all these projects especially the Post-It note holder!(you can click on each photo for a larger picture)

Sympathy card

A dear man at our church lost his wife of 59 yrs to Alzheimers this week.
He took care of her the whole time in their home...19 of those years.
What a example of Christ's love he showed to all of us.

A Layout, Some Shark Teeth and a Star book!

Made my first LO for the almost summer! DH and I were at the Flag Ponds State Park Beach hunting for shark teeth when I glanced back and got this pic of him. He has quite a collection of teeth he has found over the years.


On this day, I found by first! Upper teeth are ray teeth.

Here is my first Star book! (made for a MoreThanScrapbooking online crop challenge)

Recent card/LO challenges

Very cool backgrounds...

The Background Fairy made this cool background and did you notice...my name is on here...just had to add that!

Trip to Rock State Park

Scott's 50th!

Weighing in...

Well, its summer(almost) and I weigh more then last summer!!

My dear friend Michele has started a motivation group to support each other as we all need to get healthier! (on this MB: Craft Happy Website in case you want to join us!)
I NEED this so much! I have been watching our dear friend (and our churches music pastor) as he started on his weight loss three weeks ago and he has done wonderfully! Lost over 15 pounds already! I am so proud of him, but also very envious...I know I can do this...
I want to lose about 90 lbs and realize it won't happen over night...but today is the first day.:

I know I can become healthier then this...here I am with my DD just last week:
She is beautiful, yes! (ready for the prom here) I want to healthier and today is the day!
(have I said that enough?)

Shanon's Prom

Finally catching up here on my blog...

Sorry its feast or famine around here! I finally got some blogging caught up...hope you scroll down and see the ones I posted.

Made my first EVER French Bread...found the recipe here:

French Bread, Part 1

French Bread, Part 2



The recipe makes four loaves! My family had them all ate by the next day. A pot of soup goes VERY WELL with this bread!

Our Small Group Bible Study

In case you have been wondering where I have been and why I seem to be NOT creating many crafts lately...its because our church decided to do Rick Warren's, "40 Days of Community" 6 week Bible study. We are hosting a small group here in our home on Tuesday nights and what a blessing it has been. The *purpose* of this study is to learn to reach out in God's love. As a small group, we are encouraged to find a way we can do that... and we did! (I will post later what we did do!)

Anyway, here is our group...they have been a blessing to get to know!(or get to know better!)

Seth playing guitar for Worship!

We had a combined worship with our Spanish congregation on Sunday, April 19th. Seth plays for the Spanish congregations service...so he was asked to play on stage for our contemporary service. Can you tell he enjoys worshiping!

Ducks had a egg on our Pool!

My dear son yelled out, "Hey, mom...look out at the pool...there are ducks with their egg!"

So, I did go and look(with camera in hand of course!) and this is what we saw!






They flew off and left the egg! I told the kids to watch and see if the parents come back and they did 2 days later...papa was on guard duty!



Then they left and did not return. I felt so bad...poor ducky.

Computer weirdness...

Well, I have been off and on my pc for the past couple of days due to our computer is *acting up*!
It will work and then the Internet goes out!(we have DSL)
Of course, my boys think its time to upgrade and get FIOS.(cable)
So, if you are reading this and wondering thats what is up...so far its been on over an hour so thats good...maybe it just had a *bug* and is better now!

Whew, where has the time gone!?

Its almost May!
I have a list of things to do, but seem to be getting farther and farther behind...hoping I can catch up soon!

We had our first small group Bible Study last night at our home...two other couples and a single gal are joining us to do Purpose Driven, 40 Days of Community study by Rick Warren. Most of our church is participating in a small group throughout the week and then out Pastor Stan preaches on the topic. Our topic this week was "What Matters Most!"...Love, of course!( John 13:35, Galatians 5:6, ! Corinthians 14:1-13)
It will be wonderful to see what the Lord has in store as we study together and see, "What on earth are we here for?"

Yard work...

I don't like it! Well, I let my area to the pool get out out-of-hand at the end of last summer and now I am paying for it! So this is the befores:






These flowers were the only beautiful thing growing in spite of all the weeds, dead bushes and leaves!


So, we got a lot cleared and cleaned up...but then we have been pelted with rain off and on the past few weeks. I have been too busy to get back out there...but I have LOTS of mini mints I need to hand pull then we can lay down the black plastic sheeting and the mulch...hoping it will deter the mint! So, I need to get out there today...it gorgeous here, but the ground is still soaked from yesterdays rain...so, maybe tom'w??