Our Girl is in College

Doesn't she look cute and happy? Well, she IS ready to be on her own. AND we are very happy that she's ready. It would have been hard to leave her if she was scared... or didn't really want to go to college. Eric and I have always said that Noelle was born ready to be independent. After we left her on Friday, we were so excited for her!! I mean, I would have LOVED going to college at NGU - LOVED IT - and so I am SO happy for her to be attending there AND playing soccer for them. She is going to have a fantastic four years there.

Eric and I plan to go see about 3 -4 of her soccer games. Since she's about 5 1/2 hours away, we won't be attending many home games but we will travel to Charlotte and Banner Elk for 3 or 4 games. I DO wish we lived closer... but there's not a more perfect place for Noelle. So... we'll go when we can. I am already missing seeing her practice and play soccer. I have been driving her all over the southeast for at least 7 years to play soccer games and tournaments. I almost don't know what to do with myself on the weekends without her. She kept our family hopping with all her activities and drama. Well, at least we can concentrate more on our 2 boys. I believe Cade is enjoying all the one-on-one attention from us. Since he's the baby, he has always had to share his parents' attention with either Christian (his older brother) or Noelle. He's a funny kid too, with a great sense of humor. At least he won't be graduation from high school for 5 years. We can enjoy him for many years yet. If Cade wasn't around, I think Eric and I would be so sad that Noelle left and Christian is mostly gone. Christian lives at home but between work, school, and friends (and the occasional girlfriend) we rarely see him!

Look at this picture of Christian hugging Noelle good bye. It looks more like Noelle is hugging Christian good-bye - he was so grumpy all morning while we packed Noelle's "things". Eric asked him why he was so irritable and Christian said he was upset that Noelle was leaving. He doesn't know how to show his emotions... but he is very sensitive inside. He and Noelle got a lot closer the months before she left.

Scrapbooking Fun at Fellowship Friday

I had such an amazing time at Fellowship Friday's this past weekend! I sat with an old, old friend - I met her some 10 years ago at a scrapbooking weekend in Asheboro, NC! She cooked all the food and the other 40 or so of us scrapbooked all weekend. Well, Nancy and her daughter happened to sit with me on Friday and all day Saturday. We had a great time talking about our children - and she understood what I was saying exactly. I am so thankful I could re-connect with her. I had no idea we had so much in common... we didn't get a whole lot of scrapping done but we sure got a lot of chatting done!

I was also humbled and blessed to win the "best" layout contest for the weekend. I posted a picture at the top of this post with my creation. I had so much fun with the layout and it came together very easily. It was a 5 X 7 picture of my daughter, Noelle, and I. I scrapbooked about how her dad and I give her all kinds of advice... but now, she's flying from our nest and going to be making all her own decisions. Hopefully, all the love, hope, sweat and work we've poured into her life will start to come to fruition this year and all the following years. That's what Eric and I pray for. I used my Cricut Expression to cut the large scalloped circle in purple. I also cut out some light-colored banners with my cricut but the picture quality is so bad that you can't see them. I will try to post a better layout picture soon.

Some more layouts

Well, the first layout here uses the Cricut Christmas cartridge cut out of white cardstock and backed with red paper. One of my all-time FAVORITE layouts that I've ever created. I don't know why. But I just love the detail on the ornaments.

A Christmas layout using the Cricut Christmas cartridge by cutting out a Christmas tree; then backing the cut-out with red ribbons (layout right above on right). Of course, I like using kraft cardstock and distressing.

The third layout using the Cricut Christmas cartridge could be called "Blue Christmas" since I used blue ribbon behind the tree cut-out. Lots of distressing and white pen. Lots of ribbon, too. I need to start using up my ribbon SO I can buy more. Great philosophy. I'll let you know if it works. hee, hee.

Well, I'll post more later. Noelle just had a soccer game - a scrimmage - and her team lost 0 - 3. She hadn't played soccer in 3 - 4 weeks so she just wasn't on top of her game. The temperature was a scorching, HOT 92*F. We sweated. A lot.

For my *&^%$*@# Birthday, Eric and the kids said I could get whatever I wanted. Whatever? Yes, whatever. Well, of course, I chose a new ZOOM camera lens for my "baby" - my Canon Rebel XTi. Eric and I bought the Canon 50-200mm zoom lens last night at Best Buy. It's amazing. I took about a million pics of Noelle on the soccer field. I'll have to look at them later. I could see her eyelashes on the other end of the field through this lens. Is that amazing? or what? Yes, amazing.

I AM GOING TO BE PUBLISHED!!!

I'm so giddy! I'm so excited!! I'm speechless!!! well, not quite. BUT I'm going to be published. YES! ME! I'm actually going to have one of my creations put in a magazine. PUBLISHED. I can't believe it. Having my "heart" creations put in a magazine has been one of my goals for 5 years. I can't believe it's about to come true. It truly is.

My first ever layout is going to be published in the October 2011 issue of Cricut Magazine. Everyone go out and buy the issue. NOW. Well, not exactly NOW. But when it comes out in September.

I will also have 2 creations in the Cricut Magazine special issue: Home Decor. Two creations, yeah, baby. I made two 8" X 10" framed layouts to hang in a baby's room. I would share them here, but can't until the magazine comes out - which I believe is in November or December 2011.

My newest goal and one that I am going to work like crazy at: to be published in the Scrapbook Trends magazine. I dream about that, and pray that I will get my layout published in that ONE magazine. I would be so giddy!!

Well, we just got back from a week's vacay in the mountains of North Carolina. What a trip. I love the mountains WAY more than the beach and I love to spend time with my family there. I will post some pictures soon.

More layouts - Again!

My two most absolute favorite people in the world. I love them so much. I don't know what I would have done if they weren't in my life. The have been two of the most steadfast people EVER - and I don't know anyone that loved the Lord Jesus more than them. And they love each other and take care of each other.

More Layouts

One of the most beautiful pictures of Noelle that I have. I love this layout because I love this photo. I really haven't used so much bling on a layout in a long time but I sure enjoyed blinging it up here, it looks like.

Mother's Day

Mother's Day was a very good day. I received the sweetest notes EVER from my 3 children. Even Eric gave me a darling note and he wrote a poem. I LOVE his poems - he hasn't written me one in SO long. I need to post it here... because if I put in our scrapbook, I'll have to find the scrapbook, open it up, then find the note, yada yada yada - when I could just type it here and voila! have it to look at whenever I get on the computer.

Also, my favoritest NEW toy- my KINDLE!!! Yay!!! Eric and the kids gave it to me for Mother's Day and I"m having a blast downloading my favorite books on it. So far I have downloaded about 25 books BUT I have only BOUGHT ONE book - all the rest (24 or so) are FREE downloads because they are classics. All classic book can be downloaded for free - but it's a pretty generic version. OF course, I could pay for the book that has been "kindle-ized" if I want - but I enjoy reading the free version JUST as much. So why spend all that $$??

The book I bought was The One Year Bible, New Living Translation. I have the paperback Bible but I like that I can just click on the Bible and my Kindle takes me to the very last page I read. I can also go to the date of any entry and start reading the Bible there. Awesome. Can I say it again? AWESOME!

I have all the Jane Austen classics: Mansfield Park, Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility, Persuasion, Northanger Abbey, and Emma. Also, Jane Eyre, Moby Dick, and Little Women - free classics. I just remembered: I am downloading "Dracula" - one of my all -time FAVORITES. I'm shocked at how much I loved this novel. There were so many Christian references and I was held captive by the story. REALLY well-written.

I don't know if I'll download magazines. I know that Eric liked Reader's Digest... I might subscribe to that.

Also, I have been scrapbooking my little heart out. Here are my most recent creations: