OMG it is soooo late!

It's already WELL past my "bedtime." I was going to write up a gooood (probably long) post about all that's been going on and my serious thinking I've been doing...but I think I'm going to have to wait till tomorrow now so I can go get some shut eye.... I suppose I could leave you all with a little teaser...

This past weekend: trip to San Antonio to spend time with my hubby and celebrate (a little early) our 10 -year anniversary, and a trip to Sea World with the girls!

Today - my Daisy Girl Scout troop (which includes my daughter) bridged up to Brownies.

Thinking.....about job, time with my kids and hubby, time committment for my sorority (I've been on the national board 9 years now, 5 of which I was the national president), my future in digi design, photography, finances, and our move to IL.....my little mind is working overtime today!

Alrighty...well...I'll have to post details later.
Night.

I know I've been absent lately

I haven't posted a real post since last Friday, and well..this isn't going to cover everything right now. Sorry!

I graduated on Saturday (will post more about it later), Mother's Day was Sunday (nothing special, just a relaxing and quiet day), and then this week! lol

Kyleigh has had a fever since at least Monday morning (even with tylenol it's been about 101, when the tylenol wears off it gets up to 103). Early Wed morning (about 5 am) she woke screaming and I went to get her. She was burning up - Temp was up to 104! YIKES! She's had no other real symptoms - no throwing up, lack of appetite, or acting sick. She's just been HOT and very very tired. Took her to the doctor today and she said she thinks it may be Roseola (aka Sixth Disease). So, she sent me home to monitor the situation another day. If it is Roseola, they expect the fever to end abruptly and a rash to break out all over her body. If these things don't happen, I have to take her back to have a blood workup done on her. :-( This evening she seemed to be getting some of her energy back, was a little playful. I last took her temp before dinner and it was about 99.1 (lowest it's been in days). I gave her some more tylenol and then she went to bed after dinner. We'll see how she does tonight and feels in the morning - so far she's had a more restful night than the last few.

I too have not been feeling so good. I've had a pain low in my adominal area on the right side since Sunday I think. I'm not sure if it's gastointestinal (sp?) or maybe my ovary. A few years ago I had surgery because the doctors discovered a large cyst on my left ovary they thought may be ovarian cancer. I dropped my classes that semester and went to a GYN Oncologist immediately. I underwent surgery (an actual incesion, not just laproscopy) and they discovered it was a bad case of endometriosis. They were unable to seperate my ovary from the cyst, so I lost that ovary. This story is more involved, but the point is that I'm nervous that the endometriosis could be back and maybe that's why I'm having pain on the right side now. :-( I'm holding out that this is NOT the case. The pain has now radiated to cause me lower back pain too. ugh

I've also been sooo tired, sleeping as much as I can the last several days. I've barely had any energy to come sit at my computer to work on anything scrapbook related or to enter any blog entries. So..tonight I fell asleep right about the time the girls went to bed 8:30 ish on the couch and woke just a little before 10:00. My mom called about 10:00 and I talked to her for a few minutes and then fell asleep again on the couch until Eric woke me sometime after 11:00. I went and go ready for bed with every intention of just stumbling right into bed, but I rememberd I had to send out some information for my Girl Scout troop for tomorrow. Now...here I am farting around, but ready to head to bed in just a few minutes.

One other piece of news before I head to bed...dh and I have been trying to make a plan for this weekend to celebrate our anniversary (10 years!) a little early since we won't be able to go our actual anniversary weekend (he'll be moving to Illinois). My parents are keeping the girls Friday and Saturday night while we retreat to a bed and breakfast for the weekend, and then Sunday morning we'll pick up the girls and take them to Sea World! I'll try to post about graduation and such before I leave for the weekend, but we have a ton of things to do before then. Alyssa has 2 school things we have to attend tomorrow, and we have our GS meeting tomorrow. Friday I have a doctor appointment and then we're taking off for our weekend right after Alyssa gets out of school.

If I don't get back to the blog before the weekend...Have a great weekend, catch y'all next week. :-)

Denim Darling Elements are HERE!!!!

Finally, the denim darling elements are READY! The elements will be available for FREE for ONE WEEK ONLY! Once the week passes, the entire Denim Darling kit will be available in the Sarah's Scraps Store for sale. I'll be working on the Denim Dude elements next. Comments always appreciated :-) *EDITED - The free week time has expired, and the Denim Darling kit will be in the Sarah's Scraps Store soon*

Well, it's Official now...

We are moving to Illinois! Eric accepted the job in Illinois Thursday. We are sad to move so far from our family, but we are thinking about the positive things and excited about a new place and civilian life. :-) We'll be able to put the girls in good schools, have seasons, and get a basement!!! If we are really unhappy, we can try to transfer back to TX in a year or so or look for new jobs. Other possibilities started to come up here in TX just recently, but they just didn't materialize in time for when Eric had to respond to the IL job - we didn't want to turn that down without having another definite offer. Eric will probably be starting June 5, so will leave the end of May. The girls and I are PLANNING to go up the end of June, but we'll see how selling the house goes. I do want to stay through June though to let Alyssa do some of her normal summer activities with her friends and have some time to say good bye. Once we get to Illinois it will be hard for her to make new friends till school starts, so I don't want her to have a totally boring and depressing summer. July will be full of activities for us too, with a trip to MN, and a trip to CT for me.

I'm still debating what to do about a job. Eric will go straight into the reserves in IL, so he should pretty much make up most of the pay loss he's taking. We should be able to pretty much get buy, maybe not tons of spending money but OK, without me working, but I'm not sure what I want to do. There's a great job open at a university up there that I would really enjoy, and would be fantastic to fit with my master's degree. I have no idea how much it pays, or when I'd have to start though. To do it, I'd probably have to put Ky in daycare for a couple hours, but maybe not...Eric will be working from 3 to 11 for the first year, so depending on my hours, we may just need a babysitter or something for a couple hours. Bad thing is..I'd see little of Eric, and I'd miss this time with Kyleigh. I've been so busy this past year since she was born, I really want to make it up to her. I also need to make up time to Alyssa - she's been through the entire 2 1/2 years of this school thing, but my being home during the day won't make a lot of difference for her since she'll be in school. I'm so torn, I know it seems like such a simple answer - you can't get back these years with the kids, and other jobs and opportunities WILL come again, but I did go to school and get educated to eventually DO something with it. I'm kinda itching to get out there. I may go ahead and apply, and then decide IF they even offer me the job, once I can have more questions answered. The other catch...we do still want to try for another kid - maybe at the start of next year, so I could work now for about a year or year and a half and then stop again before a 3rd little comes. In the mean time I could help pay off a bunch of stuff and build up a nice savings. hmmmmmmmm Then again, I may not have many more chances later to really stay home much longer....decisions decisions, they never end. haha

**NEW YEARS RESOLUTIONS REVISITED**

I made three new years resolutions this year - typically I don't bother with resolutions, but this year I just knew there were a few things I HAD to change.

* I must lose some weight. I didn't lose much while I was nursing and I actually started gaining more last semester due to stress and lack of sleep. I will not be able to try for another kid unless I lose some of this weight. The goal - 50 lb! I haven't been able to lose any weight so far, but now that I'm done with school and focus on this again, I think I may go back on a diet starting Monday.

* Bed time - I have to set a bed time for myself. I've never been good at this and it's getting really bad. I always just go to bed when I'm exhausted, and I often don't get enough sleep. I need to take care of myself a little more and schedule time for me, like SLEEP. I am aiming for a bedtime of 1 AM. I've done REALLY bad with this goal this spring semester, but again, now that school is over..it's time to get straightened out.

Ok with that..it's already after 1 and I have to get up early tomorrow. Gotta take Alyssa to school, and then clean and get ready for my graduation Saturday! yippeee. I think only my mom is coming, but still gotta clean up even for her. :-)

Night night!

My Gal - sneak peek at a new kit

I've been busy today...working on a new kit that will be in Sarah's Scrap Store soon. Have to make the elements next :-)

Available at Sarah's Scraps Store NOW

13 brushes (4 edges, 4 paint strokes, and 5 splatter brushes)
availabe now at Sarah's Scraps Store

and.....I'M DONE!!!! I just emailed my last final exam to my professor a few minutes ago! I feel soooo free!!! lol Time to celebrate. :-)

What a great weekend!

Well, it's been a busy weekend, but I really enjoyed it.

Saturday the girls and I went to the OPA activation ceremony (it' s a service sorority I was in when I was an undergrad at Texas A&M, and have been on the national board for 9 years now - they have a chapter here that I actually started the first time we lived here...) and then we went to lunch with the girls. Afterwards we came home and and took good naps. I was trying to make up for my lack of sleep the week prior! ha We got up, had snacks, and Alyssa and I worked on a craft project for a little while, and then I made dinner. After dinner I got the girls all bathed and then we put in a movie for our Saturday night movie. This is usually somethign Alyssa and Daddy do, but he wasn't home yet, so I started with her. :-) Ky tried hard to stay up and wait for daddy, and finally at 9 I let her go to bed. Daddy walked in maybe 5 - 10 min after! ahhh. So Eric finished watching the movie with us and then Alyssa was off to bed. Eric worked on my computer then and finally got me access to my files again about 11 PM. I logged into the last NSD chat at SBB, but I had no energy to even look for any pictures to scrap. I just chatted with my buddies. hehe I totally forgot to download or save the freebie links before I logged out (I was so tired again already). oh well. no worries. Went to bed fairly early WITH my husband (usually I go to bed hours later!)

Then...today I hung out with DH and Ky while Alyssa was at Sunday school, and then took a nap for a little bit after Alyssa came home. I THOUGHT Eric was watching the girls, but Ky redecorated the bathroom while I was napping and he thought I was watching her. oops. After my short little nap I prepared the proofs for the senior shoot I did last weekend and dh created a webpage for me to post while I took Alyssa and her friend to the movies (we went to see Ice Age - very cute. The girls loved it, and I laughed a few times too haha). After more play time with the girls this evening and then dinner, more play time..the girls went to bed and I got on the puter to attend the chat at diggiscrappin.biz to see how I did for the Ulitmate Digi Scrapper Contest. WELL...I guess I was so tired the other night (and desperate since I didn't have access to any of my digi pictures) I didn't read very carefully, and I got disqualified because I used a picture DH took of me and Alyssa, rather than one I had taken myself. I had thought about using the one I had taken of him and Alyssa at the beach too, but I hardly ever have a pic of me with the girls, so I used that. oh well..so I'm out - one less thing to do this month I guess.

Then this evening I was working some more on my senior pics, and making something new and fun for my scrap store! :-) I should be able to post it in the store this week.

As soon as I finish my budgeting final and am completely done with school too, I'll finish up the denim kits, work on the April freebie kit (I know it's late), and some other things. :-)

well, I've stayed up way too late tonight. I had vowed to get myself back on a better sleeping schedule again, and here I am at 3 AM! Eric doesn't have to go to work until tomorrow afternoon/evening, so I'm going to work on my final in the morning and try to get most if not all of it done before he goes to work. It's due Tues, but I hope I can finish by tomorrow! :-)

Later gators! :-)

Sacrifice!

for the Ultimate Digi Scrapper! I'm so tired, and had so little (more like practically NOTHING) to work with, but I just couldn't NOT try! I dug out my printed pictures and found a picture I liked of Alyssa and I, and then went shopping for a new kit! lol I managed to pull somethign together and load it in an hour! I don't think I've scrapped that fast in a LOOONG time. I really like how it turned out too - usualy my speed scrapping is REALLY sad! lol Maybe I've been way over thinking scrapping lately! lol Oh well...I think the rules don't allow us to post the lo, so if you want to see you'll have to head over to digiscrappin.biz here's the link to my LO (or maybe my gallery). Feel free to leave me comments! lol I think I MUST go to bed now before I pass out on the keyboard! ha nighty night folks.

Capstone is OVER!

Well, I'm all done with the capstone - I stayed up again alllllll night (I've still not been to bed and am so about to crash) and finished this afternoon. I had to stop working about 9:30 until Ky took her nap at 12:30, and then I was done about 1 PM. After some minor computer issues, I had both copies printed out and ready to go about 2 PM. When Ky got up from her nap, we got a quick snack and went to pick up Alyssa, and then off to Office Depot to bind the papers. By 3:30 PM they were turned in and I was officially done with capstone! whoo hoo Now all that's left is my final for budgeting (I'll take care of that this weekend some time - it's due by Tuesday at 7 PM).

So now I have like a million things I wanted to do today and I'm so tired, and having no luck doing any of it. I signed up for the Ultimate Digi Scrappin contest, figuring I'd be able to do my lo after I was done today...but it has to be submited by midnight tonight and now our server (which has all my pictures and digi scrapping kits on it) is inaccesible and Eric's not going to be home till tomorrow night to fix it. :-( Unless I want to try and dig up a picture on a CD and BUY a new kit to do it, I'm just having to drop out. I just don't know that I have the energy tonight to search CDs and go shopping to make a page for it. :-( I guess it relieves one thing on my plate for the next few weeks.

So then I also wanted to finish up the denim elements and put them up for NSD tomorrow, but can't access those either! :-(

Need to prepare some proofs from my senior shoot I did last weekend....and well...yep, can't access those...

Tomorrow I have a ceremony to go to at 10 AM, and I'm going to have to take the girls - I hope I can wake that early after having no sleep for days. :-)

I've promised Alyssa I'd take her to the movies this Sunday, so that's on the calendar for this weekend too.

hmmm OH yeah...Eric had his interviews today (he can't come home till tomorrow because there were no flights out till tomorrow, so he's just sitting up in Illinois hanging out now), and they GAVE HIM AN OFFER ALREADY!!!! Whooo hooo So, we have till Wed to figure out what to do now. Ugh! Happy he got an offer finally, but sad because it's really a big pay cut still and it's so far from our families. He does still have an interview with another company in Houston on Tuesday, so maybe he'll be able to select between the two next week. He also got a few other bites today on other jobs, but there really isn't any more time to do much with those before he has to decide on Cat by Wed. figures doesn't it?

OK..well...I'm pretty bummed about not being able to do anything tonight on the computer and not being able to participate in the Ultimate Digi Scrapper now, and I'm barely keeping my eyes open any longer, so I guess I should just call it an early night and give in.

Happy weekend everyone!

Entire Draft of the paper is DONE!!!!! All that's left now is the executive summary (1-2 pages), editing and finetuning little things..oh and some transmittal letter that goes with it! whoooo hoooooo....I'm off to pass out and sleep a few hours now and then begin the editing and such.

still alive...working working working (procrastinating) working working working..... I presented and "defended" my paper Monday night. I was the very first presentation (I actually volunteered to go first - it's nice to do it and then be done and sit back). It went well and I received many compliments and congrats. Today was total chaos and little got done and then I had to go to the other half of the presentations and our after "celebration." There were 12 of us in the capstone this semester and 10 of us finished and presented, 5 last night and 5 tonight. Afterwards we all went out to have drinks and eats and socialize to celebrate our wonderfulness (lol). Anyway...Eric went with me to the afterparty to be my designated drive (hehe), but I didn't end up really needing one as I only had two drinks and was there plenty long enough for both run their course. LOL I'm not one to take complements well (I don't know..maybe it has to do with my perfectionisim and being overly hard on myself), but I received so many compliments again tonight - they were so sweet. REALLY made me feel wonderful. I've really enjoyed going through this masters program, even with the stress it has caused and I will miss the "friends" I've made along the way. Well...this is just a quickie post in hello (hence no paragraph breaks or anything lol) and I'm off to finish the paper...tonight is hopefully my last all nighter. I hope to finish the draft tonight (ok this morning) and then do editing Wed and Thurs, bind Fri morning and turn that sucka in! lol OH..then I do still have a final for budgeting too, but I don't think I can NOT get an A in that class, so no real stress for that one. OK...I'm getting there guys...OH OH OH...last night I was so tired, but couldn't sleep and was too tired to write, so I FINALLY worked on the Denim Darling Elements..hopefully I'll have those and the Dude ready very very soon for you all. :-) later gators