One Happy 35 Year Old!

On Saturday my little family took me out to dinner at Fusion Japanese Steakhouse (yum!)...let me shop at TJMaxx...and challenged me to my first game of indoor glow-in-the-dark mini golf! It was an absolute blast! I also got a suprise in the mail from one of my bestest bloggy buds, Sondra! She sent me Twilight on CD so I can listen to it while I scrap. Thank you Sondra!

Then on Sunday we went to church and then after a quick lunch it was time for CAKE!


Dr. Hubby and the girls picked me out a perfect cake at Walmart. He had the BRIGHT idea to put 35 candles on it...it took a while to get them all lit...notice Cutie looks like she is gonna fall asleep...lol!


Dr. Hubby says he no longer has hair near his wrist thanks to the flames. They sang to me and I made a wish...and then...I was so thankful there wasn't a fire alarm near or it would have went off from the smoke! Time for PRESENTS!

Wild Child game me The Proposal DVD and Cutie gave me The Ugly Truth DVD.

Manga Dork surprised me with a Betseyville bag...I had fallen in love with it at TJMaxx the day before!

Dr. Hubby gave me a wallet (and all the above presents he let the littles give me).

Here is my Betseyville bag...it is called "Sweet As Can B."

In true Betsey fashion the inside contains an unexpected surprise...this is the lining. Why screws? I don't know...do you?

And the rest of my loot...

My little family gave me a hilarious card!

It made me LOL!

I got phone calls from cousins, Lil Sis, MIL&FIL, SIL & niece, my mom, and we'll just say BFF Ruth is in BIG trouble!

Thank you all for your birthday comments and thank you to my SSS message board buddies for the wishes on the board!

Happy Monday...I'm eating birthday cake for breakfast!

35 Things I Want To Do While I Am 35 (Part 4)

Happy Birthday To Me! I can't wait to tell you all about my great weekend...it's not even over and I have had a blast!

26. Girl's Night Out at least once every 3 months...we used to do this alot...I miss it.

27. Flat Scrappy Adventures...I have loved this idea for awhile...{for those who don't know what it is} you take and make a paper doll and use a pic of you for the face...you mail it to hosts who take the paper doll around their town and take pics spending time with "you"...then you make an album using the photos. I would love to visit my internet friends...if you would like to host Flat Scrappy...let me know!

28. Make my home less chaotic...I want to make my home a haven...a place of beauty...a place of peace...gee, I think that is part of the Home Interiors mission statement...I sold their products for 5 years so I think it must still be in my brain...I want to make my home warm and inviting...this has slacked due to having 2 little ones...but it is time to decorate!

29. Host a home product party in my home...not sure which one...I used to love to do this and I haven't for several years...probably has something to do with the living room carpet...looks like wild dogs have lived in there...I can't wait to remodel!

30. Host a crop at my schoolhouse...adults only...with little goodie bags and food and FUN!

31. Volunteer for something...I have NO idea for this one yet. I just know I would like to do it.

32. Meet someone famous...I don't care who. I am just so star struck...a vampire would be nice!

33. Do the SSS "Book of Me" challenges...these are layout challenges for pages that are all about you...I scrap my kids, my hubby, and family stuff...but I don't scrap much about me.

34. Sundaes on Mondays...I want to invite people over on Mondays in the winter for make your own sundaes.

35. Have family photos taken...you don't even want to know how long it has been since we have done this.

35 Things I Want To Do While I Am 35 (Part 3)

18.. Finish organizing and decorating my scraproom...just figured out there is an IKEA in Pittsburgh so I know where to get my while bookshelves! I need to stop scrappin' (for a minute) and get it decorated!

19. Reach my goal weight...I have fallen off the wagon, but I want this to be the year I reach my goal. I can do it! {Stop rolling your eyes...I know I've said that before...lol}

20. Be featured on a party site....I love throwing parties and I would love to see one of mine featured. It's all about the details...

21. Go camping...{yes, you read that right}...one family trip for at least a weekend.

22. Enter a float in the 4th of July Parade...I was inspired at Mardis Gras World!

23. Go on a family vacation...usually we go to visit Lil Sis in May...this year I want to rent a beach house for the week...I secretly dream of Disney.

24. Start our home remodeling...BIG things are about to happen to this little home...the garage will be the family room...the basement will be redone...a HUGE fish tank between the family room and dining room in the wall...new bedroom...new master bath...new master hugemongo closet...new master bedroom...2 fireplaces...I.C.A.N.T.W.A.I.T!

25. Go on a date night with Dr. Hubby once each month...we try this each year and do well up to April...this year we are going to make it all the way!

Hope you have a very happy weekend! I am being held hostage and taken to the sale at Cabelas. Help!

35 Things I Want To Do While I Am 35 (Part 2)

Can't wait to hear if you all liked New Moon...remember don't spoil any surprises...I won't be seeing it til later.

Happy Birthday to my Mom!

9. Visit San Francisco...I haven't thought about alot I want to do here yet (Golden Gate Bridge, streetcar, Fisherman's Wharf)

10. Dress more fashionable...I am really starting to love a certain "look" and I am ready to shed the jean skirts and striped tops!

11. Start using reusable shopping bags...I think if we all did this it would be great!

12. Eat at The Jug...this is one of those only open in the summer places. It is beside the river and you can get your food and eat at a picnic table. I pass it often and always say I want to eat there...never have.

13. Host a Kid's Creative Club in my schoolhouse...It would be my kids, my niece and nephew, and a couple kids from our community. I want to get them creating and thinking about their dreams.

14. Have s*x every day for a week...I think that couple that set out to do it every day for a year is NUTS! But it would be interesting to see how one week affected the relationship.

15. See the Christmas lights in Ogleby Park...it is supposed to be FABULOUS! We put it off every year.

16. Read the whole Bible...I need to read it more anyway and I would like to be able to say that my heart has been exposed to every word.

17. Make a new close friend...I wold love to have someone to do things with here. This takes me out of my comfort zone. I am not a good friend maker in real life.

TGIF!

35 Things I Want To Do While I Am 35 (Part 1)

I want to record this list that I have worked on for several weeks. These are things I want to accomplish while I am 35...some are small and some are BIG...but the first step to making your dreams come true is WRITING IT DOWN!


I am going to share a few items from my list each day ending with my birthday on Sunday. I hope to inspire you to write down your dreams...


1. Visit Las Vegas...We will be traveling to Vegas at the end of March 2010 for a conference. I hope to see the lights at night...take the dam tour (heehee)...visit the Grand Canyon...see a magic show...and lots more!

2. Make handmade cards for the special occasions in all my favorite peeps' lives...I did not realize that Christmas was after my birthday when I wrote this down...yikes! I am going to be a busy girl!

3. Meet a bloggy buddy in real life...this may be the first one I get to mark off! Don't get too jealous but...if everything goes well...I get to meet Kado from Our Life In Perfect Cadence next week!

4. Get a mani/pedi...I want to do this before our summer vacation.

5. Eat at DaVincis...this is an italian restaurant in the little town we lived in before we moved to the farm. I always say I want to eat there, but in 7 years we never have!

6. Visit Dresden, Ohio...this is the little town full of great shops made famous by Longaberger baskets. I have been wanting wrought iron sconces for my dining room and a basket tree FOREVER!

7. Design a dream board...this is a bulletin board with pictures or notes that represent your dreams or "bucket list." I want to hang it in my scraproom.

8. Surprise someone with a gift...I want it to be someone who is going through a rough time and needs a BIG cheering up!

What is something you would like to do? (BIG or small)

Lucy And Desi Become Parents!

Not THIS Lucy and Desi...
THIS Lucy and Desi!
On Saturday Wild Child discovered a little surprise!

Meet Little Ricky!
(This is one of those tiny McDs Build A Bears)

He is so little, cute, and cuddly.

(This is a small basket that hangs on a doorknob)

Welcome to the Family Little Ricky!

God Has A Perfect Plan To Make A Family

Just realized that my puny last post was post #600! Boy I could have done that one alot better. Thank you Becky for inspiring me with post ideas! I thought I would share with you all what led us to adoption. {Sorry about the bad "photos of photos"...it is a very dreary day and the lighting is awful}

It starts all the way back on November 22, 1974. I was born...

I was born at Ohio Valley Medical Center in Wheeling, WV. My birthmother had already decided to give me up for adoption. She was 17, unwed, and in a bad situation with her parents. I am not sure of the exact details, but my birthgrandparents were Catholics and the pregnancy did not bring out the best in them. Somehow I ended up with a death certificate so my birthmom could return home. My birthfather was a foreman at a coal mine. He was married and had 2 children. When I look at this photo I feel very sad and it is hard not to cry. I feel alone and deserted...unwanted.

I went to a foster home. My foster parents' last name was McClellan and they called me Kelly Jo. I traveled to San Diego, CA with them one time.

At 6 months my adoptive parents picked me up at the Fairmont, WV DHHR. They had always wanted a child and were VERY excited to get me in their arms.

This photo should have been a warning...I have been an emotional mess since birth!

This is one of my fave photos from my childhood...can you see the attitude?

I was very loved and maybe even a litttle...spoiled. Don't ya just love the matching outfits! Ah! Glad I can't remember the 70s.

At 5 1/2 years my hair was down to my rear. Mom made this dress too...she obviously got better at picking fabric!

When I was almost 7 Lil Sis arrived. She was a very exciting surprise after 18 years of marriage.

I have never felt like an adopted child. My parents never made any difference between us. I would NEVER change being adopted. My family is the world to me.

Around 18 years old I did start "looking" for my birthmom, but getting married at 19 and having Manga Dork at 20 kinda took over my time. After becoming a mom I lost interest in finding my birthmom. In the last few months it has crossed my mind from time to time.

I have always wanted to adopt because of my positive experience with it. The second thing that made us consider adoption is the fact that I have not been able to get pregnant after Manga Dork.

I will save the story of the little ones' adoption for another day.

Furbabies

I love this...I just want to pick each of them up and squeeze them.

I am having "blogger's block" again so I looked through my photos and thought I would introduce you to some furbabies. This is Blossom and her baby, Henry. Henry arrived while I was in NC visiting Lil Sis in August.

Happy Tuesday!

Ok All You PreThanksgiving Christmas People

I {heart} Thanksgiving. I love the family moments, feasting, thankfulness, etc.

Today on the way to drop Wild Child at preschool I noticed that the preThanksgiving decorators had been very busy while I was at home cropping online this weekend. Now I totally understand putting up your lights on a beautiful warm November weekend...I get that. BUT...there is no exscuse for putting Santa on your porch...or FROSTY! I mean come on...wait til you eat the turkey and then pop that Santa out the door...takes maybe 2 seconds. AND resist the urge to turn on those lights until Thanksgiving evening. Y.O.U.C.A.N.D.O.I.T.

At our home we barely mention "the C word" til Thanksgiving Eve.

How do you eat Thanksgiving with Christmas decor staring at ya? Don't your guests get confused when they walk up on your porch and are greeted by Rudolph wishing them "Merry Christmas?" If your not careful Cousin Clifford with his IQ of 70 will think he is late and turn around and go home!

I was almost home and safely past all the "C word" decorations when Britney Spears came on Sirius Ch. 20 singing her smutty "3"...I refuse to listen to her garbage...so I changed it to Ch. 23.

They have renamed it "HOLLY" and I was greeted by Michael Buble singing "The Christmas Song."

I give up.

Fast Food Recycled

The other day when driving thru McDs for a hit of sweet tea I was handed something that sparked my imagination and inspired me to create! It was...




a drink carrier...{insert angels singing harmoniously}

I needed a challenge for the November crop at Scrap Sisters Studio...{insert lightbulb moment}...I will challenge the girls to take a fast food paper product and turn it into...

MAGIC!

I am going to use this to hold my adhesives on my scrap table. It could also be used as a gift basket...2 candles sit in it very well.

Thank you McDs for inspiring me to create something other than cellulite and fatrolls!