TODAY

Today is the day that Easton returns. TODAY! That means no more counting down. Lucky you! I'll post in the next few days sometime with photos of the big arrival. It might be a day or two, depending on whether or not I can leave his side for long enough to post.

I love this photo of E. It was taken at Butchardt Gardens in Victoria, Canada on a family vacation about 6 months before his mission. What a cutie patootie! I'm kind of excited that I will be able to look at the real guy for a few months (before he heads off to college) and won't have to be continually going through my photos to see him!

Thanks to all of you for joining in my excitement as I counted down the days. My blog readers are the absolute BEST! I have been so touched by all of your messages and comments. Several of you have even referenced my excitement on your blogs. What a fun surprise for me!

By the way, I'm not sure if I have mentioned this to all of you or not. My next son, Tannon will also be going on a mission. He will send in his papers the end of March and probably find out around mid-April where he will be going. We are guessing he will leave in June or July. Can you believe this? ANOTHER missionary gone for 2 years. How is a mother to cope? And as you know, I have another son after Tannon (Dawson) who also plans to serve a 2 year mission at 19. I will be a missionary mom for many years to come.

Once Tannon sends his papers in, I will have a little contest here on my blog to guess where in the world he might be going. We had the same contest when Easton went but I didn't have a blog then. We had over 60 guesses, all over the world, but the winner actually guessed Houston, Texas speaking Spanish. WOW! I'll have a really GREAT (scrappin' related) prize for the winner! So stay tuned over the next few months for more missionary excitement. The return today is not the end of the missionary madness at this house!

I'm off to finish a few signs to hold up at the airport, tie some yellow ribbons on the bushes and trees outside, frost the cake and set a beautiful table for tonight. I'm so glad I got everything else done ahead of time and that today can just be last minute details.

It Takes Two

It takes two people to build a life and family together. And its just 2 more days until Easton comes home. WOO HOO! The countdown continues.

I made this one page layout last night. After cleaning from 10 am to 6:30 pm (I mean REALLY cleaning) I needed a serious creative break. So, this is what I came up with.

I fell in love with the sketch 96 at Got Sketch. I had to improvise a tiny bit because my main photo was vertical, not horizontal. But I think it turned out fine anyway. Feel free to click on any of the photos to see them larger.

I DIED when I found these photos as Kori and I were cleaning and organizing this week. This was Dan the Man's 10 year high school reunion. We had been married for five years at this point. WOW, were we skinny or what? This was many moons and many lbs. ago! I'll never forget this night. We had such a nice time and came home and were talking about how happy we were in our marriage and with our two children (Kori had just turned 4 and Easton was 1 1/2). We decided we wanted to have another one. One month later we were pregnant with Tannon. I can't believe that was 20 years ago. Where did the time and skinny bodies go? And now, here we are anticipating the return of our 21 year old son, Easton from his mission (Did I mention he gets home in 2 more days? Oh yeah. I did). At the age and point in our lives that we are in these photos, I would NEVER have imagined how quick this time would come.

Close To My Heart products used: Notebook Level 2 Paper Pack (X7102B), Notebook Level 2 MyStickease (X7102C), Silhouette Level 2 Paper Pack (X7090B), Black Stamp Pad (Z2105), Round Sponge (Z697), 3D Foam Tape (Z1151). Click here to shop on my website 24/7...especially when you are in serious need of a creative break!

Non CTMH products used: Marvy 2 1/2" circle punch, Marvy 3" scalloped circle punch, Cricut Plantin Schoolbook cartridge.

Where the Creating Happens and FOUR!

This is where all the creating happens for me; my scrap room. It's simple and pretty basic, but it works for me.My customers (Play Groupies) ask me all the time if they can see it. "Well," I say. " I would be more than happy to show you if you could actually walk in there. But, it is like a minefield right now." How embarrassing that it is like that 90% of the time. Today is one of the 10% that it is actually clean, everything is put away, and it is semi-presentable. So I thought I'd take some photos to remind myself how it really can look if I am disciplined and clean up after myself each time I create.

There is something about having a son come home from a 2 year mission that makes a girl want to make sure that the WHOLE STINKIN' HOUSE is perfect for him. Dan-the-Man thinks I have lost it. I have made him clean out every drawer in his desk, his hunting storage closet, the garage, his clothes closet. He is beginning to feel like Cinderella. Tannon is currently asleep on his bed at 3:30 in the afternoon. He didn't have classes this morning so I put him to work hauling out all kinds of things to the trash and to storage. I have exhausted him. Dawson has been lucky enough to not have had a spare second this week to help me, what with school, basketball, and choir. But, he is in for a day of workin' until he drops tomorrow. Lucky boys! I think I have them wishing that Easton was not really coming home in FOUR DAYS ( The countdown continues...)! Kori has been an angel and spent so much time helping me WILLINGLY! Everyone needs one daughter!

Anyhoo, back to the scrap room. It's CLEAN!

Things I Love about my Scrap Room:

• my little cubby hole closet
• my ikea bookshelf full of stamps and dimensional elements
• my wall of paper!
• my iMac
  

Things I Would Change about my Scrap Room:

• It would be bigger (of course!) for more goodies and would have more wall space for current projects and photos of the people I love
  
• I would paint the walls a color that is more inspiring to me than the current golden color on the walls. I LOVE this color for a family room where I want to feel all cozy...but not for a scrap room where I need to feel energetic and inspired. I think I would paint it a color like Close To My Heart's delicious Sweet Leaf.
• I would take out the black furniture and accents and stick with all white
• I would do hardwood floors and a large area rug instead of wall to wall carpeting

Well, I'm off to get ready to go and watch Tannon play a basketball game. GO KNIGHTS! Dawson's team played three games this week and won them all! Dawson scored 22 points yesterday! WOO HOO! Tannon and the Knights played our cross town rival on Wednesday night (American Fork High School) and won (67-47. Tannon had 18.). I'm crossing my fingers for another big win tonight.

So Excited and 18 More Days

I'm so excited that American Idol is coming back next week. There are 2 reality shows that I am totally and unashamedly addicted to: American Idol and So You Think You Can Dance. I LOVED that SYTYCD had 2 seasons this past year. I was spoiled. I would love it if AI did the same thing (by the way, you know you're addicted to a show when you start talking in initials!). I can't wait to see what kind of a judge Ellen is. I'm sad she didn't judge auditions which means we don't get to see her until Hollywood week.

I'm already wondering,"Who's life will change? Where will they be from? Will it be a boy or a girl this year? Will Simon continue to wear black, white or grey t-shirts each week? Will Randy come up with a new catch phrase? Will I love anyone as much as I did David Archuleta two years ago? Will my two AI buddies (hello Kim and Tracey!) agree or disagree with my picks?" So many things to wonder about!

In case you are still reading, I thought I'd just quietly mention that the countdown continues...EASTON GETS HOME IN 18 MORE DAYS! I think I will pick him up at the airport and bring him home for his welcome home dinner and then promptly make him watch AI with me!