First off....before I start venting and rambling....here is the entire layout that I did for The Shaker Box crop this past weekend. The recipe included using only patterned paper...no card stock whatsoever, journaling strips, rub ons and or alphabet stickers, some bling and of course some ribbon ( those of you who have seen my scrap space know that I have quite the affection for ribbon!!) I think that this was such a cool picture of Abby and daddy....of course Abby let me know that she thinks her nose is too big and daddy commented that I covered up his face perfectly to hide it. Oh boy....are they ever happy (smile)?



Now for my vent and excuse me if I start to ramble but yesterday I was faced once again with somebody pointing out to me that "I don't work" so I have no place to claim that I am busy. This was done in a roomful of parents, the same parents and children that I worked very hard for this past month in organizing a banquet for. It wasn't done in private, it was done to shame me because I do not work. And of course it was followed up with the same old same old...."Must be nice not to have to work.... wish I could stay home everyday" Okay....so here I go (and this is for all of you stay at home moms...for all of you domestic engineers....

First off....My husband and I decided long ago (20 years to be exact) that one of us should stay home and raise our kids., He was farther along in his college education and of course I was 9 months pregnant so it was decided that he would finish his education and be the bread winner. This was not a decision made lightly, this was not a decision made because I was not the educated one...I was pursuing a degree in accounting at that time. (One that I later worked on as well) This was a decision based on what we felt would be best for our family at the time and in the future. Believe me at that time we certainly needed and could have used a second income!!

Coming to my second point.....We have made MANY, MANY sacrifices along the way so that I can stay home with the kids. We don't get a new car everytime we turn around, we don't have more than one tv, we don't have more than one computer. My kids get the things that they need to excel but what they don't get is all of the extras....the name brand clothing, the expensive cell phones, every new video game that comes out. They are fine with this, they have learned the value of a dollar and they have the same appreciation as I do for the words "Clearance" in a store. I am not saying that if you work your kids are spoiled....no not at all. What I am saying is that my family does without all of the extra's so that I can stay home with them and raise them how we feel that they should be raised.

I understand completely that there are families that absolutely need a second income...when Andrew was just starting out in his job as a teacher we seriously could have used a second income....times were stinking tough...but we made it work and somehow we managed to get by.

I understand all of this and I don't criticize anybody because they work...but why oh why do people feel the need to criticize our decision for me to be a stay at home mom. Why do they seem to think that all I do is sit on my butt all day long at home? Why do they feel the need to tell me that I don't really work? Why do they feel the need to tell me that I am so lucky my husband has such an awesome job that I don't need to work? How in the world do any of them know what a day in my shoes is like, how do any of them know what my husband actually makes as a teacher (which by the way is one of the poorest paying professional jobs out there but one with a high education cost...just check out our student loan payments each month if you don't believe me) and that he makes enough for us to be "lucky" for me not to have to work....try disciplined more like it....we don't spend money like it is water.

I don't ever regret our decision for me to stay home with my kids. My kids are good kids (Okay, I think that they are Great kids but I may be a little biased) My kids are honor students, they have a strong faith, they excel in athletics and they are extremely thoughtful and caring to others. Yes, they would probably be this way even if I did work outside the home but I really like to think that my staying home and being there for them had a little something to do with it. (I really do think it actually had a lot to do with it but......)

Okay, I vented, I rambled but I was seriously hurt and offended yesterday. Of course after I got home I had thought of a million things I could have responded to her with but me being who I am I thought of them too late. I guess I would just like people to think before they open their mouths. That would be in a dream society I guess.

So if you made it here and you made it through all of my ramblings I just wanted to say thanks for stopping by today. Have a great one!!

I have been busy working on the wrestler's blankets that we are giving them at the banquet on Sunday....remind me in the future not to have such brilliant ideas!! No, actually they aren't too bad to work on and they are really, really cool looking but it seems like as soon as I sit down to stitch I have a million interruptions and one very white cat that feels it is necessary to sit on my lap!! Yes, white cat hair on red and blue fleece blankets is not very attractive!! I have 2 more left to do but today I had to work on a scrappy project. Thank goodness for that because I soooo needed to feel some paper!!

The Shaker Box is having their Grand Re-opening Crop this weekend....starting tonight actually at 6pm. As part of the DT I get to host a challenge so.....I love making recipes (now for those of you who really know me you are probably laughing pretty hard right now....cause you all know how much I hate to cook!! (smile)) but nope, this kind of recipe is totally paper related. I list certain things that need to be on the layout. Then everybody uses the recipe to come up with their own project. It always amazes me how you can all have the "same" items on your layout but have completely different looking ones in the end. Anyways, here is a sneak peek at the layout I did for my challenge....if you want to see the rest of it then you have to go over to The Shaker Box and join in the crop!! I am offering a RAK as well for one lucky participant who cooks up my recipe and I know that there will also be lots and lots of other prizes and give aways all weekend. So hop on by and have yourself a look.



Tomorrow we are going to PA for yet another volleyball tournament. Thankfully this is just a one day deal and we shouldn't be home too late. And after this one we only have 2 more tournaments left. I can't believe how awfully fast this season has gone by!

And one more sign of spring here in NY is that the baseball season officially started this week. Of course those boys are probably not going to see an actual field to practice on for a few more weeks (you see, we still have mounds and mounds of snow on the ground) but hey...it is a start isn't it. Abby has the countdown for baseball in Myrtle Beach already. I haven't asked her yet what we are down to cause I know it will be here awfully soon and I still have about a hundred things I need to get done before then. Maybe I should have her tell me so that it might light a fire under my butt....(smile)

Thanks for stopping by and I hope that everybody is getting a chance to feel some nice springtime weather this week!!

I am totally whipped! The poor girls played over 20 games this weekend...I seriously lost count after 20 and my brain was so shot that I couldn't even try to figure out how many they actually did play. They ended up taking first in their bracket which sounds more glamorous then it really was but let us just say that when push comes to shove these girls CAN make it happen. And I am so proud of them for that! Abby totally rocked this weekend...well more so on Sunday. Saturday it didn't seem like the girls were very in tune with each other but my goodness on Sunday Abby, Michelle and Amy just rocked. I don't know the exact number of kills that Abby had because I lost count of that too....but just about every time they set her the ball she nailed it. Unfortunately for a couple of girls on the opposing teams she nailed it right in their face. Daddy was oh so proud!!

We left here on Friday afternoon and didn't get back home until late last night. Lots of driving and sitting and driving and sitting. A little bit of pool time and lots of eating fast food. My tummy will take a few days to recover from that. I am looking forward to a home cooked meal tonight. Our hotel was kind of stinky....lots of problems with heaters and elevators and can you believe this....no hot tub!!It did have one major attraction though.... a Target half a second away!! It also had a Michaels and I was so excited to see that but alas....I only had time to hit Target that first night for a few minutes and was unable to muster up enough energy to hit Michaels later on in the weekend. Oh well, my pocket book is probably much better off because of it!!

We got to spend some time with Maddie on Saturday which was very good for my soul. I miss that girl so much!! She looks great and she is always the person I can go to to make me giggle in times of stress....and we had lots of times of stress this weekend. I just can't wait to spend the week with her in Myrtle Beach....counting down the days!!

Today I am going to try and regroup and work on these fleece blankets that we had made for the wrestlers and coaches. They are pretty hot and I will have to show you them when I am finished.

Oh, and I have to share this too....a few years ago one of my friends was killed in an automobile accident...it was a really tough time for all of us. I babysat her daughter and our families are really very close. Anyways, they did an article about her and Elysia (her daughter) in the paper today....relating to a memorial fund raiser in Xylia's honor. I thought that it was pretty neat.

We are heading out to Rochester tonight for a weekend tournament of JAVA volleyball. It should be fun...a change of pace from the stressful wrestling tournaments!! We will even get to spend some time with Maddie so that is always a big plus. Of course my bleacher butt isn't going to improve over the next couple of days but hey...that is what being a mom of athletes is all about.

Things are improving with Andrew's shoulder everyday. We have had a few emotional blow ups (both he and I) It is just hard not knowing what to do about it. Unfortunately (or maybe fortunately because they really do care...) several of the coaches have been putting in their 2 cents about it...surgery or no surgery...when to have it if we decide to. At this moment I don't think it is the proper time to make any decisions. He was scared because of the intense pain he felt over the weekend...but the doctor told him that it what it was going to be like if he got himself caught. The tear isn't going to get any worse...it is torn and he can't tear it anymore. It is just a matter of how much pain he can tolerate. If you ask me...wrestling is not the sport to test it but of course nobody asked me. The doctor is least worried about baseball, then football with the special brace....wrestling on the other hand was a different story. So with that being said....baseball starts next Wednesday....I think he is going to play. As far as the surgery goes....haven't a clue...but time line wise....I think it may be after football season next year if he feels it is warranted.

Okay...onto much happier things. I have been creating all week. I am in a card swap over at Coordinates Collections so I have been working on those. These are a couple of my favorites and again I am using up all of my scraps. I am having fun coming up with different ways to use my bits and pieces...makes me feel good. I still have a couple more to do but I will probably have to wait until next week to finish them up. I also posted my weekly recipe challenge over at The Shaker Box today....so if you have a chance go on over and check it out.

I am off to finish up laundry and get packed. Thanks for stopping by and keeping up with my crazy world!!

and it is over....My worst nightmare of this wrestling season came true at Andrew's tournament this past weekend. He had to forfeit due to injury. Yes, his shoulder. It was the hardest thing for me to say to the coach that it was over but I really had no choice. He physically wasn't able to go on and there was absolutely no way that he would be physically ready to wrestle next week at States....so the decision was made to end it.. It started with his first match of the day....he wrestled a true 285 pound wrestler. He made a mistake early on and had gotten himself in a position of having to fight off being pinned. The other guy fell on him...yes...right on his bad shoulder....Andrew fought off this pin for over 1 minute and amazingly he did! He then went on to get a reversal and then he pinned his opponent. But...the damage had already been done. He had 285 pounds on his shoulder for over a minute....his pain was almost unbearable. At that time I should have stopped him from continuing on to his next match but I couldn't bear the look he gave me. He went on to wrestle again and had a tough match that he ended up losing...partly to the fact that he couldn't lift his arm and partly to some major officiating issues. (that is a whole other story that I am not going to get into.) He had to wrestle again 45 minutes later...he did pin this kid somehow but by this time he had tingling in all of his fingers....not a good thing. We begged him to make the decision not to wrestle....he knew that all he had to do was win one more match and he would still be going to states because he had enough wildcard points to get there. Stupidly we let him continue....not long into this match....Andrew took his kid down and then....he couldn't get up off the mat. He was in so much pain. It was then that I told the coach it was over....they had no other choice then to listen to me because they knew if they didn't I would have marched on that mat and ended it myself. Emotionally Andrew was crushed, physically he was crushed. It was such a disappointment to him but he knows that it was not worth it. That continuing on would have been disastourous to his football career and that is what he is working so hard for....not wrestling...and not some trophy to add to his collection. Fortunately though after being examined by the Sports Specialist on site he did not dislocate the shoulder (that would be bad and would mean immediate surgery) But he stressed the muscles and ligaments enough to cause swelling and nerve pain. With ice therapy the swelling has gone down. He still has difficulty getting dressed but there is no longer tingling in the fingers or numbness. I think he dodged a bullet. As hard as it is to see him so disappointed I am actually relieved....very relieved that it is over. Will he wrestle next year I have been asked....not if I can help it. But we shall see when that time comes. There is a lot to get through between now and then. Baseball is on his mind now....2 weeks and that starts back up. Hopefully he will be on the mend and okay to play....if not...then It is what it is and we will deal with that.

We did manage to have some fun this weekend despite the disappointment. Max loved his first time seeing that Falls. I think he might have enjoyed it more if the wind wasn't so bitter and the ice pellets hitting his face didn't hurt so bad but hey...It was gorgeous. Seeing all of the trees covered in the ice....just like a fairy tale. Grandma and Grandpa went with us and we all stayed in the same hotel. Relaxed by the pool and in the hot tub....ate lots of yummy food and just enjoyed being all together. The pictures from the Falls really do not do the beauty of them justice...they are awesome to see in person...it just makes you awestruck to stand near them.

So today I am going to unpack from the trip, do some laundry and then have a little me time this afternoon. I want to make a special card for Niki and get that sent out to her. My heart is still broken thinking about that family. My sadness over what happened this weekend at the tournament pales in comparison to the sadness that Niki is dealing with. Putting things in perspective.....a lesson they have taught me time and time again.

Dear sweet Ellie Rose passed away last night. In her mommy and daddy's arms. She is no longer in pain. She is flying with the angels. She will forever be 5. God Bless Niki and her family today and always!

I have been finishing up my DT work for The Shaker Box as well as catching up on laundry and getting the house cleaned before we leave. We have decided to stay an extra night at the Falls so Andrew Thomas can have an evening of chilling out in the hot tub and just relaxing before we drive back. I am not looking forward to the tournament at all....only because my mommy nerves are just about shot at the moment. I just pray that he is stays safe and that whatever happens everybody is fine with. I know that however far this kid goes I am more proud of him then ever no matter what!! He has exceded my expectations this season and I can't believe how far he has come even with his injury. I personally am ready for it all to be over with but only God will know the answer to that and whatever happens Saturday happens so I just have to go with the flow. Can you tell that I am trying to convince myself to chill? Maybe I need that hot tub more than he does!!

Anyways, these are the layouts that I did for my DT work at The Shaker Box. This was using the February kit which I am telling you right now was my favorite kit to work with so far. Just love everything in there and have plenty more to use on future projects.

I received in the mail today my package from my shopping spree the other day. Oh my....lots of fun stuff to play with. And when I went to the Mall yesterday I used my 50% coupon over at JoAnns and picked up some more yummy paper from Heidi Grace. I know....I am so bad! But I have given myself a new challenge....20 more projects from my stash before purchasing again!! I figure that this will help me to actually get my scrapping done since I can't wait to shop again. What is it about scrapbooking that is so addicting? I just can't figure out this need of mine to have everything!! Oh well, it is probably better to be addicted to paper then to some other things in life...(smile)

Here is a funny for you too....we have been trying to find the time to get poor Max a haircut for weeks now and it never worked out for us. He was getting pretty annoyed with his hair because it was always in his eyes. Anyways, yesterday at the mall I said we are getting your hair cut no matter what today! He was so excited. After the lady finished cutting his hair...which mind you...she took a lot off....Max told her "it wasn't short enough" "Don't cut all of it off he says but you need to cut it some more" So she did and he was happy as a clam. Now I think it is pretty short and if it were up to me I wouldn't have taken that extra off but he is so happy with how it turned out. How can you argue with that? Of course I haven't taken a picture yet and at the moment I am just too lazy to deal with taking one and getting it on the computer so you all will just have to wait until another day.

Prayers please too...Ellie is rapidly declining and now Ellie's dad was put into the hospital for a severe anxiety attack. This poor family is just going through so much right now and I wish so much that there was something I could do for them. Prayers are all I can manage right now and prayers are probably the only thing that really matters at this time. I keep telling myself that but I do wish that there was something more. Like finding a cure for Ellie so that they don't have to watch their little girl die.

Don't mean to leave you on a down note but life is life...enjoy each moment that you have and remember not to sweat the little stuff....It isn't worth wasting your time.

Thanks for stopping by and hopefully the next time I update I will have lots of exciting news to share and pics from our Falls getaway. Keep Andrew Thomas in your prayers this weekend too and maybe remind me to just chill and know that it is what it is and whatever happens, happens!!