Zeke is One!

So, you are going to have to bear with me as I overload you with the cuteness that is my baby Zekey!  After a week of seeing my friends Audrie and Nicole post pictures of her new puppies, I decided that I needed to adopt their brother.  On August 18, 2012 I traveled to visit my friend Casey and pick up the newest member of our family.  I can't believe he is already one!  So, take a trip down memory lane with me...

Zeke's first picture!

Zeke hanging out with his biological siblings, Zoey and Zander! (The Z puppies)

Zeke comes home to meet (and pester) his new adopted big sister, Hexe

He's been a snuggler since the beginning

 Zeke thought the crate was just fine as long as he had guests!

 My babies

 The dogs like to sneak on the couch to snuggle with Julia because then they don't get in trouble for being on the furniture.

I lucked out by having another dog that puts up with crap from a toddler and loves her despite it! 

 And here's my baby boy smiling for his birthday treat!

He may be naughty, but I am so happy that I have him.  Hexe is usually happy to have him too! ;)

Summer "to-do" list

I will be starting my internship in September, which means fewer days home with my baby girl.  This makes me sad when I realize that I will not be spending as much Momma/Daughter time with her, but I know that what I am doing is best for our family.  Another good thing is that Julia is going to "school" at Kenowa Hills Learning Center and that has been really good for her.

GRKIds.com posted a list of 92 things to do this summer.  One for everyday of June, July and August.  Not all of them will work for a 3 year old, so I kept some of their list and then added things of my own.  This summer is going to be a little different for Julia and I since I'm working again, but I want to make sure that the days we spend together this summer are fun!  

We will be doubling up a few things and skipping some, so our list will be a little different.  Here is our summer plan:

1. Construction Truck Petting Zoo
2. Spoonlickers
3. Festival of the Arts
4. Grand Haven Musical Fountain
5. Getty 4 Drive In
6. Fulton Street Farmers Market
7. Millennium Park
8. Holland Peanut Store
9. Fredrick Meijer Gardens
10. Radiant Sportz
11. Java Gym Out of business :(
12. Peppler Memorial Park at Rockford Dam
13. Grand Haven State Park
14. Jesters Court
15. Blandford Nature Center
16. Duck Lake State Park
17. Downtown Farmers Market
18. Storytime at Sweet Mellisa’s - (Wednesdays)
19. Boulder Ridge Wild Animal Park
20. Holland State Park
21. John Ball Zoo
22. Ice Cream Month at Dairy Discovery
23. Hager Park (Jenison)
24. Tuesday Night Music Club (Fredrick Meijer Gardens)
25. Grand Rapids Children’s Museum
26. Impression 5 Science Center.
27. Binder Park Zoo.
28. Holland Street Performers
29. Leslie E. Tassell Park
30. GR Fish Ladder
31. Michigan’s Adventure!
32. Kent County Youth Fair
33. Downtown Polish Festival
34. Tunnel Park
35. Ride the Grand Haven Trolley
36. Stanwood
37. Grand Rapids Public Museum
38. Potter Park Zoo
39. Detroit Zoo
40. Visit the Residents at Busia's work
41. Camping 
42. Bowling at Westgate (Kids Bowl Free Program)
43. Jazz at the Zoo
44. Spring Grove Park
45. Feed ducks.
46. Play with bubbles in the backyard
47. Fallasburg Park
48. Make (and eat) homemade popsicles
49. Visit the MSU Children’s Garden and get ice cream at the MSU Dairy Store
50. Set up and run through the sprinkler
51. Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore
52. Find a local food truck and have lunch there
53. Imagination Station Playground in Grand Haven.

54. Get ice cream at a new-to-you location

I Mustache U a Question: gel-a-tins DT layout

Casey sent me this picture one afternoon while Luke was at work with her.  I think it sums up his personality!  I loved using it to create this layout for gel-a-tin stamps!

Supplies:

Mustache Mania stamp set - gel-a-tin stamps

watermark ink - versamark

black ink - studio g

Twill tape - Stampin' Up

black alphas - American Crafts thickers

journaling spot and word banners - echo park This and That Charming line

U - pink paislee

I had fun with the Mustache Mania stamp set!  First, I stuck the mustache stamps all over my acrylic block to create a fun background stamp and used Versamark ink to create a tone on tone background paper.  I then stamped a mustache in black ink onto cardstock and cut it out.  To get a more worn out look with my image, I first stamped onto scrap paper, then onto the cardstock.  

I also used the stamps again to create a patterned ribbon.  I used repositionable adhesive and stuck the ribbon down to my work surface.  I then added my three favorite stamps to my block.  I then stamped the images repeatedly on the ribbon.  

One of my favorite things about gel-a-tins stamps is that I can add a bunch of the stamps onto the block so that I can stamp a few times and get multiple images.  It makes it so that I can get the effect I want without having to stamp each image individually.  It makes stamping a background paper a lot faster!

5.11 Freaky Friday-Mental Health

May is Mental Health Month, so in honor of this event, we are challenging you to creative a page about mental health or illness. It can be as simple as what you do to take care of yourself mentally, like ways you de-stress or help maintain balance. Or consider documenting something more serious like a mental health issue you or a loved one has dealt with. Sometimes its the tough pages that can be the most rewarding to create.


Here is my layout:

This was a great thing to scrap for me.  I have recently begun to see the signs of depression in myself.  One of the things about going to school for Social Work is that I often see the signs of mental illness in others, but I have been ignoring my own signs.  I have now set an appointment for myself!

Eek! I'm 29+1!

I can't believe it.  I am no longer in my twenties.  I was fine with it until about 3 months ago.  I think the hardest part for me is that I am still in such a transitioning point in my life.  I thought that by the time I was 30 more of my life would be figured out and I would have more of a direction with my future.
Don't get me wrong, I have a lot in my life to be proud of, but I am a planner by nature and I don't know what will be going on in my life five years from now.  But, the more I think about it, does anyone really know?!?

I celebrated my birthday by going to a crop at Pages in Time on Friday and Saturday.  Friday my mom and Cristen came with me.  Then Saturday I scrapped with my mom and Casey.

Then on Sunday (my actual bday) I went over to my parents house for dinner with the family and our special cakes.  My mom made chocolate mousse cake for me (with candles picked out by my dad) and ice cream cake for Jason.

(oh no the big 30)

2012-The New Year Begins

Last year was a good one for me overall. While there were little stumbling blocks, the things that really matter were great!


Julia is a happy 20 month old little girl. She is so busy, but watching her learn and grow makes the exhaustion worth it!

Lou and I have now been together for 7 years 8 months and married for 1 year 3 months. It still makes me laugh when I think about how upset I was that my brother was hanging out with him.

We have been in our house since the middle of July. I love having our own home for our family. We still have a lot of work to do to put our touches on it, but that's small compared to the feeling of having a place to call my own.

Hexe is doing great. Her separation anxiety is getting better. She knows now that we always come home. I love watching her with Julia. She gets annoyed with her, but just puts up with her. Julia loves having her puppy. She is so excited to play with her everyday.

I have made a few new friends this year. After being in school for three years, I met someone I have a lot in common with, including a toddler. I'm glad Julia and I met Cristen and Oliver. I also started a moms meetup group that has helped us to get out of the house and do new things.

Finally, one HUGE thing in my life, I have graduated from GRCC with my Associates of Arts!!! I am so excited to be finished with the first leg of my schooling journey.

All in all, 2011 was a great year. I am looking forward to getting 2012 going. I have great things coming. I just know it!