It's been a while, eh?

Wow... I can't believe a month has gone by without a single posting for me.

April was pretty rough. I had a lot of design team work that kept me on my toes as well as the mad rush to pack up the house. So much has happened that I would be typing all night so instead I will just list it and go from there...

* Yes, the trip to DC was crazy busy. The interviews went awesome... the plane flights did not. The return one especially. I ended up missing the games on Saturday night - Dad and Steve went instead - because I sat on the runway in DC for hours while we waited for the cross winds to die down and weight to come off the plane. It was a rough flight. It took me a day to recover from the air sickness. Uggh!! Everyone else had a blast at the game - and the Spartans won!! - so I was excited for the Finals.

* My brothers came in for the games and we had a great weekend full of A LOT of laughs. There are now a lot of inside jokes, including Jeff's new nickname "Google Boy" and Jon's new nickname, which I won't mention here... :) Annde had a great time playing up to her uncles and we had a lot of fun mocking Jon's Crackphone's 3G network. Jon - did you know that our network now has a 4G? AHAHAHA We're better than you!!

* The Finals - even though MSU lost in a large beating by UNC, we still had a lot of fun. We got to see things upclose for a while and even if we lost - we were still there. So there, ESPN folk - MSU got all the way to the end! You predicted we'd be out in the first round. It was VERY cool!! Thanks for the tickets to my siblings and hubby. It was an awesome experience!!

* I did take the job with the Navy... or at least I will when my security clearance is done. Who knows how long that will take. I know it's underway... but not sure when it will be complete. I guess we'll be moving, sometime... we'll just have to have fun in MI until that happens.

* Want to buy a house? Ours is for sale! It comes with a boat... :)

I have a ton of design team stuff to post that I will do in the next couple of days. I am going to try and post at least once a day this week to catch everything up.

Well, I am off. I have a ton to do before I get Annde from school. Thank you to everyone who posted nice wishes for me while I was on hiatus. I really appreciate it. :)

It's been a while - but life has been rough for the last week...

I am unemployed.

It's hard to say that. It's hard to think about the fact that 1/8th of my state is unemployed with me with several large companies undergoing even more cuts this month. Last Thursday, my company did a massive cut and unfortunately, #17 isn't my lucky number. (That's the number of headcount cuts I've survived since I started working almost 15 yearts ago.)

At first, I was very upset. I remember what it was like for my Dad to be unemployed. I went into engineering to begin with because it was a "safe" career... now, it's the opposite. Then, something great started happening. People started calling me, outraged, when they heard. I started thinking - "Hey! It's their loss! I am a good engineer who managed to get out before the bottom fell out of the industry." I can say that I did get severance but that's about all I can say since they made me sign something to get it. I wasn't feeling great but it was okay...

... then I got a call. For an interview. The same day I got laid off. I had been applying in D.C. since Steve will never manage to get back to Michigan with the economy as it was. And, one of my resumes ended up in someone's hands who was interested... So, this last Monday, I interviewed via phone and they liked me enough to bring me for a second round this weekend! Keep your fingers crossed! This would be a wonderful job opportunity for me...

Needless to say, the speed is a little bit scary. There is so much that would go into moving to D.C. Annde is in school through the middle of May. And, we have so many close friends and family here. I would really, really miss a lot of you. But, I also have some great friends there - Tim & Robin, Katie & Warren, Terria... and Steve's made a ton of friends there over the last 5 years. These same people have already offered - if I get the job - to help us find a place to live, school/child care for Annde, doctors, dentists... just about everything. I will say that it's making me a little calm knowing that we have great friends here and there that will help us move, if this is what is meant to be.

Stay tuned for more developments....

So, this weekend, after I rush back and forth to D.C.... I am on my way to

My brothers will be here by the time I leave and I can not wait to see them or the games. I am SOOOOOO excited about MSU making the Final 4! (I am bummed that the girls lost in the Sweet Sixteen by a last minute shot) I can't believe how cool this weekend is going to be! I couldn't believe when MSU tromped Louisville (the #1 team in the whole bracket)... and that these tickets that my hubby bought were going to allow me to see my favorite team play live! I am charging my camera right now!

I need to upload a bunch of scrapbook stuff... I will do that as soon as I can. Off to finish cleaning the house before I take Annde on her first & last school field trip (she's been sick during the other 3) to Cranbrook to see the dinosaurs... :) Should be a great time!

So there! Duke isn't so dreamy now, is it? MSU continues to Dance!

MSU Basketball is dancing today - cheering loudly because both our Men and Women made it to the Sweet 16!

When #9 MSU advanced to play #1 Duke, it wasn't surprising that our girls were going to get pumped up for this game. Duke was a really good team - there was a reason they were #1 going into the tourney. But they had to come through MSU at MSU... and there was no way she was leaving our home court with a win.

The victory by the women last night against Duke is especially sweet because the Duke Coach, Joanne P McCallie defected from MSU 2 years ago for her "Dream job"... It was ugly when she left - the manner she did so was not classy at all. I guess Coach P though MSU was inferior. Guess not from the look on your face at the end of the game... She was clearly outcoached even though she had a more talented team...

It's being called one of the biggest upsets in NCAA women's tourney history and I am SOOO proud to be a Spartan fan!

Thank you, Coach Merchant, for believing that coaching at MSU can be a dream job too. Our girls clearly believe in you and your coaching skills. What a wonderful job you did last night!

All pictures taken by Mandi Wright from the Detroit Free Press.

I'm Back...

Sorry about being gone so long. The computer decided to die on Saturday morning...It seems to do this every six months and it's annoying as {bleep}. It usually ends up with Steve having to wipe the hard drive (thank God that he has my pictures and digi scrapstuff on the external drive) and reinstall everything. This is exactly what happened this time. So, I've lost all my bookmarks and he's reinstalling programs as I remember what was on the computer before. My advice to you: Go spend the money to buy an external drive for storage. It's worth every penny you spend. Last time, we didn't back up to it enough and I lost Mar - Sept 2008 worth of pictures.

So, anywho...

I went out with Stacy last weekend to scrap at Scrapbookers Inc and had a great time! I got 3 layouts done - which is alot for me in only 5 hours of scrapbooking. 2 are for Coordinates Collections DT so you can't look just yet. :) But here's is one I did about my sister, Susan.

The challenge was to scrapbook using your favorite book as an inspiration. My favorite book is My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult. Amazing book with a twist at the end... I knew immediately what I was going to do and had written the journaling in only 20 minutes.

Here's the page:

Since you can't read the wording too well... and I know my sister reads this blog...

" We were born 1 1/2 years apart. I can't remember much about growing up as toddlers or children: only playing sports together and having your teachers in school. Sometimes, things would be good. Most times, we would argue. There always seemed to be sibling rivalry present. We said things to each other than hurt. We did things to each other that were mean. We're weren't friends, we were forced roommates who sometimes managed to find a way to get along. Sometimes, we managed to be kind or to do nice things. It was rare. I was messy, hating to clean anything up. You were neat, getting up at 2am to clean up the room or study. Often, at work, you would get mistaken for me - I don't know how... I was 6'3" with short curly blond hair. You were 5'10" with long curly red hair. I was the sports star. You were the sporty band geek. Do you remember the summer we redecorated our room? Those were good times... Mom breaking the bed to avoid the flying brush from your hand. Just thinking about it makes me smile... Then, you went off to USC. And it became just my room. At this point, things started to change for us. We still weren't friends, but we weren't enemies either. Then I went to off to MSU. In college, we started to grow and change. I like to think we found an appreciation for the friendship we could have beyond the bond of sisterhood. We got closer when you came east to grad school at U of Minn. You supported me and cheered for me. We stood up in each other's weddings. I stood up for you when things fell apart. Now, we are friends and sisters. We love and support each other. I realize now that having a sister is a gift from God, not a curse. You're the only true sister I have and I appreciate you, no matter what. Do we still fight? Of course. Do we still get on each other's nerves occasionally? Sure. But, these things won't drive us apart again. We are united, unconditionally, in the bonds of sisterhood. I know that things will never be a completely smooth ride. But I do know... My Sister's a Keeper."

Other than that....

GO STATE!! I am so excited about March Madness!! The men are to the Sweet Sixteen and play Friday night against Kansas. We beat them earlier this year... I know we can do it again... The women are to the next round and are playing Duke. (That would be sweet revenge - the Duke coach used to be the MSU coach before she defected. And, we're playing on our home court!) Man, I love basketball!!

Off to pack the lunches... See ya all later!

Funny Stories

Annde has been full of fun lately.

On Tuesday, we went to McDonalds (which she calls Old McDonalds) to get a "Happy Lunch" for dinner. While I was standing there giving the lady training on the register our order, I had a $20 in one hand and my wallet in the other. Annde was dancing around and pulling on my arm. Then, she slowly slid the $20 out of my hand. I didn't think anything of it - she loves to pay for things - so when the order was totalled, I looked down at her to tell her to give the woman the money and watched her pat the Donation box for the Ronald McDonald house... inside was my $20. She pointed and said, "It says Please help, Momma. So, I did." (All I can say is thank goodness McD's takes debit cards cause that was all my cash.) I guess sometimes we need to take time to look more closely at things, eh? My 4 year old knows how to be a good person and care about others... that and read "please help"... Good job, Annde! Thanks for reminding me how important it is to help others. Ronald McDonald house is an amazing place. Next time you are in a McD's, maybe you could be like Annde and donate some $$ - AFTER you pay for your meal... They really need it!

The other funny thing that happened was yesterday on the way home from school. You know this one is going to end up in her scrapbook cause it's too funny...
Here's the conversation:
Annde: It's going to be cold tomorrow.
Mom: Really? How do you know? It's been pretty warm this week.
Annde: I just know. It's gonna be cold.
Mom: Wow! You know that? Maybe you should be a meteorologist when you grow up.
Annde: What's that?
Mom: A person who tells others what the weather will be like tomorrow and the rest of the week.
Annde: Hmmm... I guess I could be.
Mom: What about being an Artist? That's what you wanted to be last week...
Annde: Oh Mom... I am an Artist right now!
I am just not painting right now cause I have to go to school today.
Mom: Oh! Are you selling your work?
Annde: Not right now... in a few days, I will be. So you better call your friends to see what pictures they want to buy... I have a lake picture and a dot pictures and a heart picture... I don't know where they all are, but your friends can still buy them...
Mom: They can? That's fabulous!
Annde: I know. I will make some more tomorrow. I am too tired right now...

(She fell asleep immediately after dinner on the couch - at 6:45!) So, here's your notice, friends. Annde's first show will be sometime soon.

Some Great News and other random thoughts...

... So yesterday wasn't too good a day.

The weather was nice - I tried to eat lunch outside but after freezing in the wind, I went back inside after only 20 minutes. Then I had some minor disasters at work - you know the kind that suck up your time and you can't really resolve in a day?!? It's going to be a rough week at work...

Then, the guy who was supposed to come look at and hopefully by the wood burning stove didn't show up - he got stuck in traffic... He's the 3rd person to be interested. I really hope that he buys it because I would love to get it out of my garage.

The girls played outside until almost 8pm. It was so cute!! They built farms in the sand box to celebrate spring coming in 4 days. They used acorn caps for the veggies and fruits, sticks for the apple trees, and leaves for the pear trees. They even attempted to make a barn. Annde had blueberry hill - cause Swiper has to have somewhere to hide... Tee Hee! Look for it, coming soon, to a scrapbook page...

But then I came inside and the kitchen had a minor issue - the sink was completely full of muddy water and the countertop and floor were wet too. Hmmm... It took me quite a bit of time to fix whatever it was blocking the system. Later, I found out that Steve hadn't run the disposal when doing dishes the night before because Annde was asleep (it doesn't wake her up but he didn't realize that) so it backed up with the dishwasher ran... So, after mopping the floor, cleaning the cabinents/sink, and then cleaning the tub (which is where I dumped a bunch of the water) and getting Annde to bed, I sat down on the couch and promptly fell asleep. Whoops!! I was going to scrap last night! Oh well...

So, what's the good news? I got picked for the Design Team at Scrapbookers, Inc! It's my LSS - only about 10 minutes from my house - and they only picked 2 people to add to the current team. I am excited! I loved the Zone but I didn't love the drive... (over 1/2 hr) This store recently moved in and it's right next to the grocery store. Yippee!! It will be a lot of fun to work with the other 6 team members. Stacy and I are going scrapbooking there on Friday! Bring on the fun...

Okay... off to take out the trash.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!!

Pink Sketches #24

Here's the sketch for week 24...


And, here's the layout...


It's such a sweet story... And, I just love these pictures of Aiden. Enjoy!