All Caught Up and Ready to Work(shop)!

Hello again...

Whew?! I am once again all caught up! I was a busy, busy girl last week and managed to finish up our personal Family Album for last year. I was focused to get caught up before starting a new Wedding project for a client - although our meeting was postponed due to sickness (on her part - not mine) I still managed to complete my own pages so I would not fall too far behind! I am CERTAIN that much of the reason I was able to get caught up and on top of things is thanks to the lovely Day Planner that Chuck sent my way!

Here are just a few things that helped to make me a Happy Happy Girl this week:

Yep - there she is... she's a beauty, isn't she?! All nice and pink and happy! Along with my Day Planner, is a few happy CDs I have been enjoying this week, and some fun HIP eye make-up, the new line of facial products that I rec'v as a gift that I LOVE, my journal that I try to write in on a regular basis, and a new wallet that my sister got for me that matches my (current) favorite purse! Yes - all of these things made me happy - but that paper there on the bottom put me over the edge! It is an essay that my daughter had to write in narrative form (after reading The Outsiders) for a class... and while she got a B rather than the A that she was hoping for - it is the content that made me cry! What Mom wouldn't want an essay written like this - especially at 13? Oh my... I am blessed! While I want to type out the whole thing - it would seem, well - a tad bit gloaty maybe?! LOL!? So - I will refrain... let's just suffice it to say she talks about our friendship and how I balance that with the Mom card and I am her best friend, she said, "My mother is incredible. When she puts her mind on something, she achieves it." This is a huge statement for me as I have really been working on achieving some goals and improving my follow through! Lastly, she ended with: "I only wish that I could be a hero to someone like my mother is to me." (Insert sobbing here!) Nice, right?

Between that, and this nice full week:

...I have been busy and yet - organized and on top of things!

Amazing what a little day planner can do! LOL!

So - here are all my 'final' pages for our Family Album including the Title page, our Christmas pages, and a couple of Friendship pages... I also worked on a SWAP Friendship page but won't post that now as the recipients don't have them yet! (But they ARE on the way, Michele!) Anyway - here are my last pages completed:

This week - well, I just got a large Valentine's card order so I am working on that today and this weekend... next week I will pick up all the papers and pre cut all of them and place them into Kits for my Workshop on the 31st! I can't wait! So far I think I have about 16 people signed up! Not bad... hopefully we can get a few more and have a full classroom!

My daughter has an amazing time at camp... is still feeling the lack of sleep of it all though but has managed to not get sick (which I cannot say for many of the kids who went unfortunately?!)

OH - I didn't have my camera - (since I gave it to Kaye for Winter Camp) so while she took pictures on the bus and of people sleeping, I would have been taking some fun Disco Night Bowling pictures! Oh yeah - that is right, people! I (yes ME?!) went bowling!? No big deal... except I have never gone bowling before. Well - that is not entirely true... I attempted to go bowling several years ago with friends and I was so incredibly self-aware and lacking any confidence or ability to understand that everyone was NOT judging me as harshly as I was judging myself, that I simply quit after trying about 3 frames. I sat out the rest of the night... horrified at my own behavior and locked in a prison of my own making. Fast forward several years, and add in the fact that my sister (a fellow Sparker) got a Wii for Christmas in which we have been playing bowling, we decided that it may be fun to go 'real' bowling with our hubbys! Knowing it would not be like the Wii, and knowing that we would not be that good (but not knowing HOW not good we really were?!) - we still decided it would be fun and something new and we wanted to give it a go! So - my hubby and I met up with my sister, her hubby, and their daughter and we attempted to bowl a couple of games! I think my total score (for BOTH games) was around 80 or so... yes - I said for BOTH games?! LOL?! I stink! However, I have learned that it is NORMAL to not be good at something the first time you try it... I have learned that the more you do it - the more you practice, the better you get - but just getting better should not be the goal... even though I hit the gutter more than I hit the pins - I had a blast! Not ONCE did I wonder if anyone around me was noticing how bad I was (or how overweight I was... or if I looked dumb... etc!) Not ONCE?! This is an amazing statement! I have been with my hubby for 18 years... not once have I ever embarrassed him in public! I was always too shy and too afraid of drawing attention to myself to even consider doing anything that could - well - embarrass him! However, apparently those days are over!? LOL?! With the 80s music (starting with Prince!) blaring and the disco lights twirling, I was having a great time... So when "Thriller" came on - I just couldn't help myself... I did stay SEATED, but when the time was right - I started in on the dance routine! Nothing big - just that arms going up from side to side part... however, before I got back to the original 'side' my husband, beat-red, pushed my hands down and shook his head back and forth, seemingly saying no! ...um, what?! I couldn't believe it?! I was not planning on standing up and going all out... but for the first time in our life together - he couldn't be sure! Incredible! I think this is INCREDIBLE!!! And such a testimony to SparkPeople and the amazing year of transformation. Never in a million years - even pre-weight issues, would I have ever dreamt of being so free of what others think of me... it literally took me a few seconds to understand what was happening and why he was holding my hands down! He was not being mean - he just didn't want me to stand up and start the Thriller routine full force! The funny thing is... I would not have done that... (at least I am pretty sure?!)... but the fact that he wasn't sure if I would or wouldn't brought me a lot of joy! I mean, I LOT of joy! (and really- it sort of made me want to stand up and finish the dance?! But I refrained!) We did however agree to go bowling again sometime soon... and I am sure my honey is praying for no 80s music just to be safe?! However, not only do I have that Thriller video on VHS somewhere... I also have my own MP3 Player... so he has NO IDEA... Now, if I want to make him nervous, all I need to do is sort of throw my head to the side by my shoulder a couple of times... Oh yeah!

Scrap Happy everyone!
~Karrilee~