This time of year is so busy for everyone, between the end of school and all the other activities that wrap up at the same time, it is enough to make you crazy. Balance that with a regular workload and I don’t know how some people do it. I’m lucky that I work on my own schedule, thus if something needs to get done, I can do it at 2am if I need to. Those that have to fit everything into daylight hours have it a lot worse I think. There just isn’t enough time in the day.

So for some, you know who you are, the end of school kicks them into high gear/warp speed, running around in a frenzy. I’m doing the opposite this year. I’m focused on the last week activities yes, but not overly so. The party is on my mind, but I planned it well enough that everything that can be done, is really already done. The only thing left to be concerned about is the weather, and that, I’m pretty sure is beyond my control. My last check of the 10 day forecast says 81 with only a 10% chance on rain.

The other thing that is getting a lot closer is my annual scrap retreat. This year we are going to Scrap Palace for a few days (Thurs.-Sun.). I’m happy to be so stinkin close to departure. It seems like all I say anymore is, “I miss scrapbooking.” It’s been awhile since I’ve had the time, energy, or concentration to do something for myself. Last night i ordered prints, which I haven’t done in a long time. I used the coupon code for Snapfish that I had posted the other day and got free shipping. Hopefully they turn out ok. I haven’t used Snapfish since I used to mail in rolls of film. I do think shipping was a little high, and had I not had a coupon for free shipping, the price would have stopped me from ordering. That and they charge MI Sales Tax. I think the shipping total refund was a little over 12.00! Is it me or is that a lot? I did have 219 photos, but still, that seems high. I don’t have any idea how quick they ship either. I’d like to have time to sort and pick paper and stuff to match the photos before I go. We’ll see.

Anyway, so my message for today… while everything is getting closer to happening, ending, being due, whatever… I’m not stressing about it. I’ve got plenty of other things I could be stressing about, and I’m sure you do too.

~j

A short post for today as I’m busy trying to get some things accomplished while I’m grounded to the house. My Buick is acting up again and frankly I’m afraid to leave for fear its going to leave me somewhere stranded. Sadly my ‘85 Fiero is more reliable than my stupid ‘06 Buick. Sad isn’t it!

I thought I’d share some photos today from our recent trip. Enjoy!

Shelby loves the camera… can you tell?

Ethan the water slide fan!

This is a rare shot of Dylan. The kid despises the camera.

Have a great Wednesday!
~j

All good things must come to an end I’m told. The same holds true for vacations as we are all back to the old grind today. My trip and time “off” was uneventful and it was nice to get away from things for a bit. I did take the laptop with me and responded to some emails and stuff while I was away, but I didn’t do any real work… no website stuff, no nothing! It was refreshing.

We came home late in the afternoon on Friday and from that point forward spent the rest of the holiday weekend working on the outside of the house. With the inside all done the way we want we have started to really focus on the outside. Denny wants to get as much done as he can before our annual end of the year bash. Thats on the 7th of June, so the clock is ticking. Other than outside clean up and a few tiny things, the party is really all taken care of. The magician, cotton candy machine, and inflatable unit are all booked. I reserved the McDonalds “Orange Bowl” yesterday while I was out and ordered the cases of silly string this morning. Really all that is left is stuffing the pinata and then buying the food, and that gets done at the last minute. Ethan took his invitations to school today so the rsvps’s should start rolling in this week I hope. (In years past it has become obvious that the art of the rsvp has gone by the wayside so I’m crossing my fingers.)

I’m going to start working on my article for the next issue of Michigan Scrapbooker over the course of this week I think. I need to sort through some photos to see what I want to work with. I promised Dilly I’d use some with him in them for the next publication so I’ll be digging to see what I can find that works with my theme.

Besides all that I’m wrapping up the preparations for my annual scrap retreat. We leave on June 12th for Scrap Palace of Romeo. All the planning for that pretty much got wrapped up today with my last email going out with the food information. Feels good to have that done and I can now focus on what I’m bringing. That task alone could take weeks, lol. I need to get some photos printed to work with. I have already done some online supply shopping and I’d like to make a stop at Paper Tales before we leave also. We’ll see what I can fit in. For those of you that need to order prints… coupon code PRTFREE08 at snapfish.com for free shipping on your prints. Offer ends May 29th.

I hope everyone had a safe and happy holiday weekend!!

~j

So it’s itty bitty in this photo, lol, but thats my Ethan in the layout on the new Adhesive Transfer Sheets packaging. He thinks its cool and considers himself a celebrity. Shelby was in this months Michigan Scrapbooker so I promised Dylan the article I write for the next issue will have a layout of him. He is thrilled. Apparently it doesn’t take much to make his day. :p

I’m getting all my stuff done, or trying to anyway before I leave on vacation. I’ll be gone for most of next week, (leaving Tuesday), so I need to get though the to-do list. Thankfully, I’ve moved along pretty darn well today. I’ve been cleaning out my office and put a few things on freecycle. Gotta love freecycle… I seem to hang on to things that I don’t really need to, like magazines. I don’t know why I even bother. I never look at them. Frankly, I hardly look at the books I have either, if ever. I have some I’ve never even opened. I only hang on to those because most of them are autographed, so thats my justification… who wants a book with an autograph made out to me.

My Dad sold one of his cars this past week and I’m super sad about it. I’m mean really sad. Denny and I drove to our wedding reception in that car, so I’m emotionally attached as is Denny. It was so hard to see it go. All the kids got one or two final rides in the car and I cried. I suppose it’s kind of silly, but what can I say.

Not much else going on around here. We’ve been working on the house over the last couple weeks. I know it seems like we are always doing that doesn’t it? At least we are now onto the exterior for the most part, so the living in construction era has pretty much come to an end. I’m loving that really.

A few weeks ago while cleaning up the yard I ran across a nest of bunnies. Super cute, however now that they are all over the yard they are becoming a real pain. They have managed to eat a ton of plants right down to the ground. I don’t mind grass, but those flowers I won’t see again until next year. So, we are being invaded by rabbits. They are everywhere… it’s not odd to see 4-6 of them in the yard at a time. They have gotten to the point that they are hardly affraid of me. I was sitting outside yesterday and looked down to see a baby right next to my foot looking up at me. Little turkey… I’m sure I was interrupting his afternoon snack. The bunny issue is compounded by the ducks we have, which have also taken up residence in my yard - both front and back. Monday they found the pond in the yard. At least they aren’t eating all my plants, and they don’t eat fish so I guess I can’t complain. At least they aren’t geese. I don’t do goose poop.

There is a chat tomorrow night at MyCreativeClassroom.com. I’d love to “see” some of you there, so drop in if you get a chance.

That’s all for today. Happy Wednesday.
~j

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Michigan Scrapbooker Magazine comes out in a few days. I’m pleased to say that I have a layout in the mag. I have yet to see the print copy, but I’m really looking forward to it. I could go pick it up anytime now, but sadly the cost of gas seems to be a major factor in every travel decision I make…

I got an email last week that Scrap Tales in Brighton is closing. They started an invitation only closing sale today. I’m not sure when the sale swaps over to a free for all but if someone is interested drop me a line and I’ll revisit my invite email and get you the details. I’m sad they are closing. It’s a nice store really, and the owner was always friendly. I haven’t been in there in awhile just because it’s a hike from me. I was trying to work out my schedule to get there for the sale and just couldn’t work it out. Then as I got to thinking about it… with the cost of gas I wouldn’t be saving anything in the long run. LOL, see how this all comes back to gas??

I swear everything I do now comes down to that little thing called MPG. Sadly, my Buick gets awful gas mileage, (when it starts), so that really makes me not want to go anywhere! (Don’t get me started on the new Buick I have that spends more time at the dealership than it does in my garage.) Anyway, card classes have basically transitioned into mail kit subscriptions because apparently a lot of other people feel that same way I do about gas. Shipping on a kit is $2.80… so do the math on that. Ok so enough of my gas price rant, lol.

Ethan starts his bowling league tonight. He’s super excited about it. He loves to bowl which I think its pretty funny really. Ethan has his own “technique” which, as goofy as it looks when he does it, actually serves him very well. For being 8 years old, and only all of 47 pounds, he does pretty darn good getting that bowling ball down the lane. The last time I took him he bowled a high of 90.

So I’m off, Ethan is about to walk in the door and then we have to leave for bowling. He gets a happy meal coupon each week he bowls so I figure that is going to be my dinner.

Cross you fingers for some warmer weather. More catch-up posted tomorrow!
~j