Is this a new hobby for me?

So, I have been looking around alot on line about digital scrapbooking. In years past I have been a huge lover of the craft and have a room full of supplies that are not getting used at all. Shameful, yes I know. I always think about all of the pictures I take and nothing happens to them anymore. They just stay on this computer and I don't make beautiful creations anymore. I downloaded photoshop elements 7.0 just the trial version to see how I liked it, more for the photo editing aspects but the digitial scrapbooking was a definate draw! I have 28 more days left to decide if I want to purchase the full version at 99$. We will see what happens in these 28 days.

I have been trying to do a layout since last night and it took me that long to really get a hang on things and then I merged it together and forgot to put in drop shadows and things to make it look realistic! Argh! Oh well, it is only my first try.

Here it is, This is my cute nephew Andrew when he was out here a few months ago! I know there are tons of things I could improve on this... but for a first try.. it probably isnt' too bad!

Rain, Rain go away

I know, I should just shut up about the weather. First I complain about the snow and the cold wind. Now, I am going to talk about the rain, the snow melt and the warm wind. Did I just say warm wind? Yep... it is nearly sixty today. What is going on in the world. Is this the effects of global warming? Strange winter storms that produce snow, snow and more snow and then turn around and warm it up to melt it all and cause massive flooding. Last night the fog was so thick, the visibility was about 3 feet. Think about that the next time you are driving down the road, imagine only being able to see 3 feet in front of you.

Haley and I did a little after christmas shopping yesterday. I was really suprised by the lack of crowds. I could get down the sale aisles in Target WITH a cart yesterday. I couldn't believe it. My goal every year is to buy things that can be used throughout the year. I came away with some towels, a few rugs and some electrosol dishwashing detergent that was 50% off because it had holiday packaging! WoOHOO!

I will leave you today with a couple of pictures from my sister's house on Christmas Day.

More snow, what gives??

Ok, I realize that I live in Illinois, home of weather that changes so fast you can't even shake a stick at it. But this is ridiculous! It is snowing again? It has been doing something of the white precipitation persuasion every day for the past week. And the wind, enough is enough already! You don't need to blow so hard that you create 10 foot drifts, that is overly dramatic don't you think Mother Nature.

I live about 8 miles north of a small town and about 25 miles from a decent size town. I work in this said town. I live close to a major interstate and right now, I can't see it. Just to clarify, normally I can see but not hear it. Everything has turned into a sea of thick heavy white FoNow. If you don't know what FoNow is, then you really haven't experienced winter yet. FoNow is a mixture of Fog and Snow. It makes driving conditions from already ice covered roads really terrible. It kind of stinks, when you know you are driving on a sheet of ice but you can't see it. Oh how I love winter in Illinois NOT! The only thing worse is that we can't seem to elect a governor that isn't a CROOK, with a capital C.

I would love to be able to tell you that we have such and such inches of snow on the ground... but unfortunately, I can't tell because it is covered up with drifts varying in sizes from 2 foot to 10 foot. Right now, judging from the view out my window it looks like our neighbors truck is about to be engulfed in one fo these said drifts. HA! Sorry, I guess it isn't really that funny.. lol yes it is!

So, Christmas is just about upon us, I am just about done shopping. Just a couple of gift cards to pick up and some stocking stuffers and this year is complete. I am ready for it to be over. Ready to see what the new year will bring. Hopefully we can make it through this year without someone close to us passing on, that will be something that hasn't happened in at least 3 years now. I am hopeful that Jim will be called back to work soon and I am also hopeful for Haley to continue down the road of respect for others and most importantly herself.

Ugh, more snow... and then wind

It is supposed to get bitterly cold here with the wind chill of -25 tomorrow. Let me tell you, too damn cold for me! Especially when I still have some Christmas shopping to do!

Right now our power just came back on after being off for about 30 minutes. The wind is blowing about 25 to 30 mph and with the ice on the lines from this past Thursday's ice storm it is likely it will go out again. Already this winter is CRAZY! We haven't had this much snow in December since I don't know when.

I am hoping that our power will stay on through the night so we don't wake up to a freezing house! I hate the cold and there is nothing worse then cold in the morning!

Tomorrow is our Walters' family Christmas lunch, we host this each year for Jim's side of the family. We are having lunch this year. I just can't get into the spirit, one day I am there and then the next it is gone. I am already thinking of taking down the Christmas decorations. LOL if you know me, then you know that is totally not like me. Some years I leave them up until the end of January because I just love the festiveness of them.

Hopefully this weather stops and we can get back to our normal lives... Have a nice night y'all!

Hot Cocoa and Homemade Marshmellows

WOW! I just made my own marshmellows from a recipe found on The Homesteading Housewife. I love her blog!! She is pretty funny and she shares good thoughts and stories! I was very unsure of this marshmellow recipe... I thought no way! Marshmellows have to be inflated with air some how, well at least the highly processed ones. These are definately a new Yum Yum for us. Even the uber critical and picky Haley thinks they are good!

The recipe for the hot cocoa is here!

And

The recipe for the marshmellow's are here.

Plus while you are there... read some of her blog! You will enjoy it!

On a side note, Haley got her first contacts today... She is already complaining about them... You would have thought I forced her to get them. Ha! I was more then happy with getting her glasses, she had to have them... LOL You can betch she is gonna wear them if I have to poke them in her eyes myself! :) hehe

Mama needs a new blog design

I found this on another blog and Boy do I ever want to win this :) Click the picture to go to her site and sign up yourself.

I think it might finally be happening!

I think I am finally getting into the Christmas spirit! Our holiday party for work is tonight so that is exciting! To watch all the plans come together is the most fun! I hope the band is good and I think everyone is going to like the door prizes.

Over the past month, I have been struggling with alot of emotions and I think over the past few days I have just been able to let go and let God take care of it. I can't keep wondering about why my brother made the choices he did. He just did. I can't change the course of events now and it would have been doubtful that I could have if I had lived closer to them. I just have to have faith that he is in a better place and the Lord has healed his wounds and made him whole again.

I am going to start baking some cookies today and tomorrow and go shopping for those last minute decorations. Speaking of last minute. This year my shopping is completely last minute. I have bought 3 gifts, of those three gifts 1 of them I still need to have pictures taken for, devolped and put in. LOL needless to say, I am so far behind. Oh well, It will all come together I am sure! Right now, I need to go eat some lunch, jump on the Wii Fit for a half hour (the best invention ever!) and then get in the shower and get baking and then get ready for tonight. I hope that I have some good pictures for everyone tomorrow!

One long and crazy week

I haven't been able to blog all week because work has been consuming almost all of my time. I don't think that I have gotten home until way past dark all 5 days this week. It really messes with your internal clock when you go to work and it is dark and when you come home and it is dark.

The inevitable happened this week, Jim was layed off. We knew it was coming. He works in an industry that requires people to want to spend money on things like new windows for their homes, so with the economy the way it is, people don't really want to spend their money on things like that now. I think we will be ok. My job is stable, even if the steel industry keeps going down the toilet my job is secure as long as they don't close our plant. Even then I believe I would be offered a transfer so I think we would just make some changes in our lifestyles.

But, we will have to really buckle down now and make sure all of our bills still get paid and then try and stash anything that is left over for a rainy day! Right now we are talking about what we can do to conserve. We already keep our thermostat down to freezing. I already do most of our cooking from scratch. I think it will be at the max 3 months before Jim goes back to work full time, I think he will work off and on between then and now... so hopefully things will go well. One thing I have learned is not to rely on our credit cards during times like this. Just pay cash and muddle through.