Face Plant!

Here is how Riley looked today after doing a faceplant on his skateboard. He was sitting on it and somehow crashed. Poor bub!!

Christmas season memories

I wanted to share a few highlights from our Christmas season with you. We had a wonderful day yesterday. The kids were thrilled with their gifts and Ryan and I were thrilled that we got to lounge around in our jammies until noon! Hope you all had a great Christmas also!

Merry Christmas!!!!

C is for cookie and that's good enough for me

Tyler and Bella
Thanks to Cookie Monster for his wonderful song "C is for cookie"

We baked cookies today!! Hooray! The kids really love baking and I love taking pictures of them baking! I am going to keep this short and sweet as my wrist is killing me tonight (thank you carpal tunnel...) So I will just show you a few photos of our morning baking session instead of blabbering on.

Here ya go:

Sprinkles are their favorite part!

She got a little carried away

Clean up time! Good thing I had just cleaned the kitchen counters.

Super yummy cranberry chocolate chip cookies I made


Is your mouth watering yet?

Here are the digiscrap layouts I have been working on the past few days (weeks?). I can't believe we are so close to Christmas! I still have some stocking stuffers to buy but otherwise, I am good to go. Ryan got our packages out in the mail today and they should all arrive before Christmas. Whew! This weekend is Christmas cookie baking, my favorite!

All kits are courtesy of my 3 Creative Team Leaders. Please visit my gallery (link on left) to see specific credits.

The one I wish I didn't have to write

I have spent the last month trying to avoid writing about this. Whether that is because I am still in denial and writing about it makes it more real, or whether I am trying to move on, I don't know. But today marks the one month anniversary of Crista Beth Thomas' death so today it must be.

Crista was my step sister in law. She was Ryan's step sister. Pat and Leah (Crista's mom) married just a month after Ryan and I got married. Crista was in high school then. I don't remember the first time I met her, but my first real memory of her was at my wedding. Crista was beautiful. She and Leah looked more like sisters than mother daughter. They both had beautiful blonde hair and big blue eyes. Crista had an amazing energy and a pulsating need to be loved and wanted. She couldn't wait to have 3 brothers, as she was an only child.

It was fun to watch Crista grow up through the last 7 years. While we didn't get to see her very often, she was always warm, friendly and fun whenever we were around her.

The last time we hung out with Crista she and her boyfriend took us to one of the Indian Casinos in Palm Desert. We had a blast. She even babysat my kids once and they adored her.

Crista was killed in a car accident on November 16th. It was one of those senseless accidents that makes you soo angry. She, she was speeding and lost control of her car. She wasn't wearing her seatbelt and was ejected as the car rolled. Luckily, the Drs said she was brain dead on impact so there was no pain. In all of this tragedy, that is such a relief. Leah and Pat made the agonizing, but heroic decision to donate Crista's organs.

I got the call while I was at my friend Jenn' s house for our weekly taquito and margarita Friday night. I was in the kitchen, just finishing up making the first batch of margaritas, when my cell rang. I knew the minute Pat started speaking that something was wrong. When he said what had happened I sank to the floor crying. My first thoughts were for Leah. Leah and Crista were so close and she was Leah's only child. I could not imagine the devastation this would cause her. I hated having to tell Ryan.

The weekend we were in La Quinta for the funeral felt unreal. Ryan was a pallbearer so I sat with the kids and my niece Dakota during the service. I sat behind Leah and my heart was breaking for her. When they brought out Crista's casket, her shoulders were shaking. That was the only time during the weekend that I saw her breakdown. Leah was so strong when she was in public but I knew in private she was a wreck, as she should have been.

I don't know why Crista's death has affected me so much. I was not close to her, and didn't get to see her often enough. I really think the reason it has grieved me so is because I am imagining this loss for Leah. Having lost a daughter myself (though circumstances were so completely different as my daughter, Emerson, was stillborn) I can put myself in her shoes a little bit. My heart is so broken for her loss. I don't know how else to put it.

Crista, we will always miss, remember and love you. Fly high!!

New Layouts

I haven't posted any layouts for while so I thought I would get a few of them up tonight. I also got picked to be on two more creative teams! I have no idea how I am going to juggle being on 4 but all of the designers are so talented and I love all of their kits so I will find a way!!





Winter dreams kit by Sailor and Lula Designs (see her blog to the left)

Chloe kit by Lisa Majewski Designs (see her blog to left)

Rub a dub dub, thanks for the grub

We had a very nice Thanksgiving this year. Ryan's mom, 2 brothers and niece were here and my mom came over too. While the food was cooking, the boys played a game of touch football. Riley had a blast doing that and Dakota joined in a bit later.

We all had a hand in cooking, which really makes it soo much easier. Here are a few photos from the day:

The Cousins

Not much to say

Just some LOs to share

It pays to not have cable

Here is what I did instead of watching tv tonight:

What did you do this weekend?

Here is what I did (along with Riley's soccer game and going to see Bee Movie):