Even the dogs love the lake!!!

It cracks me up when I walk outside and find Harley sitting in the golf cart. Sometimes I swear she is smiling when she is sitting there:) There is nothing she enjoys more than a long ride on the golf cart with us. I was lucky enough to have my camera right by the door when I opened it up to check on them. I caught Harley just in time. Then Barkley jumped up to join in on the fun!!!

Back home from the lake...

and did we ever have a good weekend! It was so good to see Bethany and Jeff this weekend. It was his first time here. We also had Ryan's brother and his girlfriend, and another friend of Ryan's with us. The water was rather chilly, and the weather left much to be desired. However, when in good company, the lake can always be a good time. This weekend was no exception. On another note, here is my latest layout. I made it before I headed to the lake. That picture still cracks me up, and I just couldn't figure out what to do with it. Then, the idea came to me to scrapbook about the way we were during the entire trip. I thought this picture really captured all those adjectives:)

Isn't Barkley the Cutest...

puppy you've ever seen???

And, here's one of my first Vegas layouts. I love this one, like a whole lot!!! I don't know why. Maybe it's the black, white, and hot pink??? I don't know what it is, but I REALLY love this layout!!!

My "postcard"

This is the little "postcard" that I made for all the kids in my class. Barkley has been a pretty frequent visitor to the room this year. The kids loved him, and he was always so good and friendly with them. They were all sad about not getting to see him anymore, so I made them this to take with them. They really liked it!!! I used a free digital kit download from two peas to create it. I think digital is perfect for stuff like this!!! I was able to make it once, and print 25 copies of it in a pretty small amount of time.

Editing photos...

today, and printing them:) I finally have time to relive my trip to Vegas. These pictures make me smile. And remember. And Laugh. And be grateful for such good friends. I am so lucky. I know I have posted some of these on here already, but I just love how some of them came out in black and white, so I'm posting again. Then I'm going to start playing with my pictures:) I think I have printed about fifty pictures in the past couple of hours. I'm not anywhere near being finished either. I hope everyone is having a good week. I am so happy it's summer:)

My summer vacation...

has officially started:)

1 1/2 days, but who's counting???

I am, I am, I am!!! I can't believe how this week has been CREEPING along. But tomorrow should go by pretty fast. Today my kids made second grade memory books, I took everything off the walls, and they took all the tape off everything. They have no idea how nice it is for me to have them ENJOY doing these things for me. I hate that stuff. So my room is pretty much packed up. We are watching a movie in the morning, then we have track and field day in the afternoon. Monday is a half day, then I am so OUTTA there!!! I can't wait. I enjoyed my last list a lot, so I decided to make a list of things I can't wait for about summer....and here they are:
10. I am going to really CLEAN my house.
9. I am going to attempt to clean my scrapbook room-notice the word attempt. I get sidetracked quite easily in there:)
8. I am going to go for long runs/walks during the morning when the temperature is just right.
7. I am going to attempt, notice that word again, to get Barkley into some type of routine. He is rather out of control right now:)
6. I am going to SLOW DOWN, and ENJOY simple pleasures like taking a long hot bath, going to lunch with a friend every once in a while, not waking to an alarm clock, sitting on my deck and just CHILLING out because I want to.
5. I will be able to talk on the phone during the day:)
4. I might be able to enjoy Ryan when he is home at night because my mind won't be in 500 other places.
3. I can, and will scrapbook a little bit every day if I want to!!!
2. I will read a TON of books!!!
1. I will be at the lake, and I won't have to rush home on Sunday afternoons. I can stay as long as I please:)
I hope everyone has a wonderful Friday, and a happy weekend!!!

3 1/2 Days...

and counting!!! That is how much school I have left to go. Just thinking of that makes me smile-really big:) I read on my friend Allison's blog 10 things she has learned about herself by cleaning her scrapbook room. I haven't cleaned mine, but I decided to write 10 things I have learned by sitting amongst my mess. Here they are!!!

10. I have a whole lot of unfinished projects laying around.
9. I have really accumulated a ton of alphabet stickers, stamps, rub-ons, templates, etc. For some reason, I love letters.
8. I probably have as many pictures from the past two years as lots of people have accumulated over their entire lifetime.
7. When I love a picture, I print it over and over again, black and white, color, sepia, 5x7, 4x6, 8x10...and on and on and on.
6. I have a lot, and I do mean a lot, of old ink cartridges. Staples used to buy them to recycle, and I keep thinking someone will recycle them again. I should really throw these away.
5. I am extremely unorganized, but I can tell you where anything is-that is-if I remember that I have it.
4. I love all things Basic Grey!!!
3. I love pictures of my girlfriends and I-they are all around this place! I guess because most of them live far away, and I don't feel like I can hang them all around the house??? They are everywhere in here.
2. I, just like Allison, confess to being a really big scrapbook slob!!!
1. I couldn't imagine not having this room. Sometimes I just sit in here and listen to my favorite tunes on my ipod, look at pictures, talk on the phone, take a nap, or actually scrapbook. It never fails that when I leave this room, I feel better about life. This room makes me happy. When I am here, I am surrounded by things I love. The color red, memories, scrapbook stuff, music, the list could go on and on and on. But it all boils down to the fact that it is MY space!!!

Happy Mother's Day...

to all the moms out there-especially mine:) I miss her today. This is the first Mother's Day I have had without her for a couple of years. Last year I went home, the year before that, she came here. So I'm kind of down today. But at least I got to talk to her.

And...I have five and a half days of school left! Now that, is good news! Not that I don't like being a teacher, but man, I am READY for summertime. Looking forward to sleeping in, going for morning runs, wearing flip-flops and comfy clothes-everyday, and just not worrying about work. It really is a huge benefit. I hope everyone has a great week.

Yippee!!!

I am so excited! I checked my email today to find a request from bluemedia publications. They want one of my layouts to put in their upcoming book, "Blueprints 2". Trust me, during the last days of school, this is a for-sure pick-me-up!!! I'm ecstatic!!! Hope everyone is having a good week. Here are more pics from my fabulous trip with my fabulous girls!!!

More Vegas Pics

Seriously, we had so much fun! Here are some pics from our favorite day of the trip. This was Saturday at the pool. What a great day! Just looking at these pictures brings a smile to my face:)

Good Times...

Had by all! We had an absolute blast in Las Vegas this weekend! Here is one funny picture I thought I would share. There are many more, but I'm tired, and getting ready to hit the hay! Happy Monday!

Almost Out Of Here:)

So, yeah, I am so, so, so excited about our girls trip that starts tomorrow evening. This has certainly been one of the longest weeks I can remember having in awhile. You know, the kind where time doesn't pass, or you can't focus, because your mind is elsewhere??? I have been thinking this week how lucky I am. I am going with Kindra, my girl who I grew up with. Our birthdays are five days apart, and we always had a party together at my house. That is how this Vegas thing started. Bethany is my girl-the one who I went through college with, and all the stuff that comes with that:) We talk on the phone at LEAST a few hours each week, just ask Jeff or Ryan:) (LOL) Jessie is my girl who I met when Ryan and I got married. She had just started dating Justin, my husband's best friend. I met her for the first time at our wedding. We hit it off, and she became one of my best friends. So, I don't know how I got so lucky to have someone from each significant part of my life come along for the ride. The only one person missing is Rachel. She couldn't make it for a couple of reasons. But, we'll make up for that this summer when she comes here/I go there. Rachel, I love you, and I hope you have a good end of the week, and a super weekend! Here is the page I made about us going to Vegas together. I'm taking my laptop with me, planning to share some pics and memories while I am there, in the moment. No promises though:) Everyone have a great rest of the week!

Nice Flowers...

I couldn't pass up the bright colors of these flowers Ryan gave me for my birthday! I thought these were pretty cool. Have a great week! I have three days, and I'll be with my girls in Vegas!

My Birthday

So, here's what I did on my big day!!! First of all, I walked into school, and look what was at the front door. I was so embarrassed!!! I didn't care about turning thirty, but I'm not really one for the spotlight. But I must admit, it was funny, and I won't ever forget it! So, Angie and Relina, THANK YOU!!!

Kim and Angela-other gals I work with-bought me lunch from Paradise Tea Room in Rogersville. That is always a huge treat!!! THANKS GIRLS!

That's not even all of it! Ryan comes to school with two cakes from Supreme Bakery to put in the Teacher's Workroom for all the teachers at school. (Yummy cakes) He even brought cupcakes and milk for the kids in my class. He brought me some really pretty flowers and a couple of cool gift certificates too. It was so, so sweet. THANK YOU RYAN!

After school, I went and had a pedicure-one of my favorite things to do! I had left my cell phone at home, and when I got there, it had many missed calls on it. Both of my brothers, my mom, dad, Bethany, Jeremy, Grandma, Granny, Brenda, and Ashley called to wish me a happy day! Then, I went home, and a few of Ryan's friends came by to wish me a happy birthday. They were lots of fun!

We went to Bijan's for dinner-huge yummy! Then we came home and hung out with our sweet doggies! They gave me lots of birthday kisses! I must say the world revolved around me today, and I will admit, I enjoyed every minute of it! I am one lucky girl!

Yeah, I'm 30!

I'm 30 today, and...I've had one of the best birthdays ever! No time to upload photos, so I'll do that this weekend. But I can't complain. I am certainly excited about this b-day. It's been a good one! I'll fill you in tomorrow:)Happy 30!!!

Counting the days...

until I am in Vegas with three of the most awesome friends (and people) I know! We have, or, are all turning thirty during this year, and so we are taking a girl's trip to Vegas. We leave April 26th. I can't wait!!! I have been working on a scrapbook layout of the four of us. I will post it when I am finished. All I can say is that I know we are going to have a blast. We are all super-excited, and I think I must be one of the luckiest girls in the world to have these three girls as friends. Jessie, Kindra, and Bethany, I can't wait to see you in Vegas!!! 10 days and counting!

Happy Friday!

Harley has taught Barkley how to do all the bad stuff that she does. She barks uncontrollably at the front door, she licks dishes in the dishwasher, and she runs off when she's not on a leash. And yeah, Barkley has caught on. He especially loves the dishwasher. Harley never actually jumped onto it though. Barkley has no boundaries! But anyhow, it's Friday. That makes it a happy day for me! Have a great weekend!

I just ran across these pictures of Shelton, and they made me smile. Thought I would share. Hope everyone is having a great weekend! Happy Easter, too! Amy

Back to Work!

I am sad to report that my spring break is over! For all of you who are teachers, you feel my pain. For everyone else, you think it is really weird how teachers get about our breaks. But trust me, trying to keep kids inside (and more importantly-focused and on task) when the weather is nice, is quite a task. They are getting tired of school-and sometimes their teachers-and we are feeling likewise. This time of year just kind of wears me out. (at school) It is like I have to motivate my class, but I have to motivate myself too. I have to start thinking about all I will do different next year, but stay focused on what I am doing right now. Blah, blah, blah! Like I said for those of you teachers, you will understand what I'm saying. Everyone else, I apologize, you must bear with me. I am sure this won't be my last entry about the spring school stuff. But the good thing is that since spring break is over, summer is officially just around the corner. I went back today, and we went to Fantastic Caverns for a field trip. If you live around Springfield, and have never been there, it's worth a trip. I never in a million years would have thought a cave could be interesting, but it is, and it is actually beautiful in parts too. Anyway, that was a good start back to school after a nice break. I am very happy to report that I got my first bit of a suntan on Sunday too. I sat out on our deck at the lake reading, "The Devil Wears Prada", and I actually got a whole lot of sun:) That always makes me happy. The dogs had fun too. Have a great week! Amy

Link to download

I have had a few people email me and ask where to download the digital kit I used to make the digital page below. Here is the link. http://www.creatingkeepsakes.com/mag/article.ihtml?index_field=1836

There are two downloads there. One is the actual kit that you can use, and the other is a template, which is much more basic. Have fun and Happy Friday! Amy

It feels good...

to feel good! For those of you who I haven't talked to, gotten back with, etc...I apologize! I returned from Oklahoma last Sunday night feeling fine, woke up Monday morning sick, sick, sick! I missed school Monday and Tuesday. I felt better Wednesday, just really tired, then it hit me again. I was sick until Sunday. That is right, a whole week of feeling terrible! Yuck!!! I finally ate real food (that is something besides chicken noodle soup, Saltines, and Sprite) yesterday. I actually have energy, an appetite, and a much better attitude in general! It is amazing how feeling bad can change your general outlook! I messed around on my computer a little since I didn't have energy to be up and about. I downloaded lots of digital goodies. Look what I made with some of them this morning! Yep, a digital scrapbook page-I have dabbled in this a little, but never really cared too much for the results until I created this today. Now I have to add to it so I can put it in my 12x12 book. I will post a picture of that when I finish it. I don't think I could go completely digital, but I could definitely have fun mixing the two types together. I think they call that hybrid. Happy Monday!!! Oh, and I am on spring break this week so I will catch up with everything in the next couple of days!

Class next Tuesday

This fun purse card is my next class at Scrapbook Generation. This is a really fun one! Once you learn how to fold these little purses, you can use them on cards, pages, or any other place you can think of!!! The class is Tuesday night at 6:00. The cost is $5.00. If you are interested, email me, and I will get you more information, or call the store. 417-886-0440

Look at the little cheerleader!!!

Everything's Okay...

For those of you who have emailed, or prayed, or wondered, or whatever, I just wanted you to know that Kylan, my niece, is going to be just fine. She had a virus. They had found bacteria in her urine, and because of her history, they were concerned. She is just fine though. I am back home in Springfield, and I must say, it feels good to be here. I have lots of great pics to post, and so much to be thankful for. My mom is doing great, Kylan is healthy, and I have a really sweet baby nephew. Being at home was wonderful! I was taking care of my mom, but while she was sleeping, I was holding the sweet baby, playing with Kylan, or scrapbooking!!! What more could I ask for??? Have a great day!!! :) Amy

Hello from Oklahoma!!!

I am in the waiting room at the surgery center right now. We left the house at 4:15 (am) this morning. Anyone who knows me knows that's super early for me, the night owl. Mom just went back for surgery, so I have lots of time to kill out here today. I drove to Norman Tuesday night, and stayed with my brother and Ashley, and of course the new baby, Shelton. He's the best baby. I didn't hear him cry the whole time I was there. He just makes a little sound every now and then. Seriously, he is the best baby I have ever been around-so EASY!!! My niece Kylan had to go to the emergency room last night. She is having trouble with her kidneys again. It is really scary. They will have test results back tomorrow. Please keep her in your prayers. For now though, here are some pics of the new baby. I may post again later, as I don't have a whole lot else to do!!! Have a great Wednesday!!! Amy

More of Barkley...and other news!

Barkley is just the cutest little thing. I took him to the pet store earlier, and it is so cute to see how friendly he is. He just wanted to play with everyone in the store, and who could resist??? In other news, I am an aunt again!!! This time I have a new nephew. His name is Shelton. I will post pics as soon as I have some. I am going home next week to care for my mom after she has surgery, so I am hoping to squeeze in some time with the new little guy...and of course time with Kylan too. I bought them some cute stuff yesterday. Books for Kylan, and the cutest little Nike stuff for Shelton. Happy Monday!