2012!!!!!!!

Hey, everyone! How are you all doing in this new year? I am just reeling! This year is my husband's and my 5th wedding anniversary! I cannot believe it has only been 5 years-it has seemed like an eternity of sorts. Our life has taken some pretty extreme and unexpected turns in the past 4 years and it has beaten us up pretty bad. BUT!! We are still here and stronger than ever! Through challenges we find our true strengths and weaknesses and I have been seeing a lot more of my strengths in the past month and I am thrilled. Without going into too much personal detail, that would utterly bore you guys, I realize that I have been in a sort of 'pity me' daze for the past 4 years and I am SO over it! Yes, my husband and I have had our struggles, especially financially, but who hasn't? We have learned a lot about each other and, more importantly, about ourselves. This year brings me a changed state of mind. Instead of looking at all the failures in everything, I am changing my attitude and looking for the successes in everything! So far I have done very well and I am very proud of myself. I still have far to go but what better way to see how far you have gone that to set goals? In fact, it is ironic that last week when I went to Above Rubies Studio and saw that they are doing a Design team call!  After telling myself that this is the year I really step out and get back into who I really am and that I need to start pushing the envelope a bit more, I log on and see the perfect opportunity right in front of me! I believe it is Heavenly Father's way of showing me my true potential and my ability to take something I LOVE and make it into something I can be proud of and support my family with. I am a VERY independent person and I HATE being on income support. I am used to working for a living and having an unexpected 'disability' has really thrown me for a loop. Having a husband with a disability as well has appeared quite a challenge seeing as I have been in a dependable state which I am NOT used to. (I am STUBBORN!) HOWEVER, I have a different attitude this year and I will turn my life around the best I can.

Sorry about the long post. I know it is a crafting blog but as a creative person I have more than just an interest in paper crafting. First and foremost I am a writer and a thinker. I LOVE to create art with words and writing makes me feel so alive! It also helps me to keep myself in a perspective that I can challenge myself with and constantly grow. Soooooo, I have come up with some goals that I will be using my blog for this year and helping myself to grow and expand my mind. It is also so ironic that Megan at ARS has stated a special goal challenge for her followers and I AM SO THERE!!! So I will be using my blog to stay accountable to myself and my goals and really find myself again!

I guess to really start out I should properly introduce myself:

I am a wife to an incredible and intelligent man who has Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome (PTSD).  Though he goes through his only struggles daily, he is a wonderful husband and father and I would ask for nobody else.

I am also a stay-at-home mother of 3 beautiful, bright, and bouncing blessings; Joseph (JoJo), Ella (our princess to ALL degrees), and Embry (Bug-short for Cuddlebug). We are absolutely interested in having more children but for now we need to somehow find some financial stability so we can depend on ourselves more. My family is my world and my children are my biggest blessing. They are always reminding me of Heavenly Father's unconditional love for me. They know exactly how to pep me up when I am down and I cannot wait to share these moments with you guys.

I am a very strong-minded person and LOVE TO LEARN!!! I cannot seem to get enough education! I am always looking for something to learn.

I LOVE using my imagination to create anything! I love music, watching movies, reading, writing, doing puzzles, coloring, and doing ANYTHING with my kids! (Playdough ROCKS!)

I love life and love to live it to any extreme I can!

I LOVE to sing!

I LOVE being outside! I LOVE going to the beach-could totally live there if I was allowed! I love anything that has to do with water!

I find inspiration from anything and everything.

I love to journal. For myself I have 3 journals; my normal journal, my scripture study journal, and a journal I write to my husband in which I started when he was away for military training. Whenever he is not around to talk to or is in a mood that I cannot approach him with something heavy, I write to him in this journal. I also have a journal for each of my sweet children that I write my thoughts and emotions for them in. I also talk to each of them in their journals and I use it as a way to express my love to each of them in an unique way.

I LOVE yoga and my aerobics ball. I sit on my ball while I do everything! I am not nearly as capable as I used to be physically but this keeps me in as best shape as I can get, (well whatever I don't already get from chasing 3 kids around and sticking to their schedules-my JoJo is already in pre-school!!!! I can't believe it!)

I love ice cream! My favorite, right now, is President's Choice Vanilla with Chocolate Crackle ice cream topped with warm president's choice hazelnut spread and President's Choice Cookies N' Cream ice cream shoppe topping. (Yes, I have a thing for President's Choice products...).

I LOVE LOVE LOVE the Canadian Tenors!!! I just recently found out about them and I just can't get enough. My husband has actually taken to them as well and we love relaxing to their music while I scrap and my hubby plays his computer games.

I LOVE our Wii! My husband bought it a few years ago and I thought he was crazy-NOT ANYMORE! I cannot believe how much of a workout we get playing tennis and baseball! LOL It is a great substitute for the real thing as I am all into physical activity. In fact, I just found the Epic Mickey Wii game for $19.95 at Walmart yesterday!!!!! I have been wanting that game since it came out! It was $69.99-I got it for 20 bucks!!!!! I LOVE IT!!!

My favorite:

-number is 7 (it is also God's number of completion. Guess how many kids I want!) LOL
-food is lasagna
-colors are blue and purple
-movie is "The Outsiders" (based on the book by S.E.Hinton)
-book is "Fallen Angels" by Walter Dean Myers
-school subjects are English and History
-aircraft is the F-16 Fighting Falcon
-scripture is Proverbs 29:18
-dessert is ANYTHING chocolate!!!!
-band is Bon Jovi


Okay okay okay. I better stop now. I could write all day and all night for an entire year and still not have explained all of me! Things will be coming up this year, though, that I know will bring out more of me. I am excited to see where I am in a year! I am totally applying for the DT at Above Rubies Studio and even if I don't get in I will have the confidence in myself that I need to keep trying! I cannot WAIT to show you guys the cool layouts I did for the application-but I have to!!! LOL

I hope you guys have a great year and I look forward to creating in all sorts of ways this year!

Take care!!

GOALS FOR 2012


1-Attitude!
2-Look for the success in everything.
3-Step out of my comfort zone in my crafting.
4-Apply for at least 2 design teams.
5-Record at least 1 video tutorial for my blog.