Events of the Weekend

This past weekend Bailey had her turn at the Ft. Worth Stock Show.  She and her heifer did very well in the show ring and placed third in her Class.  After all of the poop was scooped...

the cows were washed and blown dry this is what we ended up with...

Another year in the books!  As always, this has been a fun and educational experience for all of us.  Bailey works very well with all of the heifers and continues to step up to the challenge and responsibility that it takes to make it work.  Now on to the pigs and getting them ready for the County Show in March.  The fun just never stops!

As if I needed another project....

Last January Bailey was lucky, skilled, or just crazy enough to catch a calf in the Ft. Worth Calf  Scramble .  Now with this opportunity, challenge, or headache comes a few responsibilities and requirements that have to be taken care of throughout the year.  For those of you that don't know what I'm talking about, I'll give you a brief recap.  If a calf is caught, then you are awarded $500 to use towards a purchase of a heifer to be shown in the next year's Ft. Worth Stock Show, in return you are expected to make monthly contact with your sponsor and keep a journal of sorts... IE... scrapbook documenting your year working with and showing this heifer.

This is where I come into the picture - - I am helping Bailey put together a scrapbook for the Judges, in addition to the $500 used to purchase the heifer, extra scholarship funds are awarded for the most creative scrapbooks and an essay.  This past year I have been taking pictures of anything and everything that Bailey has done while working with and showing her heifer and her pig. 

Let's just say that trying to get pictures of Bailey is like trying to get pictures of a raging bull!  Literally!! This child does not like to have her picture taken and most of the time her expression is clearly representing what she is thinking....it's not usually nice either! LOL  (Notice the expression below.  Is there any doubt that she is thinking ugly thoughts about her mother?)

Originally, we were working to put together a more traditional scrapbook with all of the cutting, gluing, paper, and cute little accents, but then I was informed by our County Extension Agent that the Calf Scramble Office really only wanted a 'copy' of the scrapbook?  HUH?  A copy?  I've been cutting, gluing and buying little accents for nothing?  They just want a copy?  CHANGE OF PLANS! 

Now Bailey and I are working on putting together a digital scrapbook which I enjoy doing so much more than the traditional paper scrapping kind.  Basically I like working digitally better because it's less messy!  Yes.... I realize I have issues with things being clean and not cluttered, but all of that paper stuff constantly drug out over my dining room table was about to send me over yet another edge of insanity. Picture it... scrapbook junk at one end, Briley's homework and school project at the other end.  In the mix there is a cat or two taking residence among the constant paper piles and then let's not forget that eating standing up isn't always the best alternative.  UGH... Here's how my mind works... (beware)... If I have to clean up the scrapbook stuff every time I need to use the table, then I will NEVER get in the mood to drag it back out and work on it; I hate to make a mess.  Therefore, digital works so much better for me and I don't feel so overwhelmed with clutter.  ( I know... I definitely have issues! But that's a post for another day!)

So far, Bailey and I have about 12 pages in the digital scrapbook completed and I need to make about 12 more to make myself happy with her submission of the project.  Oh and one little detail... it's due Feb 1st!  YEP... that's right.... as always we are rushing around to make this happen.  It will be great I'm sure - it has to be - we've actually had to get along for a few minutes to make it come together! :)   And just in case you are wondering, YES she is going to be trying for another heifer in the Calf Scramble again this year!  JOY JOY!

 

Meet My New Friend.... Chirp Chirp!

Now before you start thinking I've got money stuffed under my mattress or I've suddenly won the lottery, let me just say this.... I got lucky on EBay!

Since I don't sleep much at night, I've been lying awake for months watching the scrapbook infomercials and I've really been wanting one of these handy dandy Cricut Expressions machine. However, a $349 scrapbook tool is not on my list of priorities and I am not crazy enough to be able to justify that sort of expense.

So.... long story short, I found an EBay auction that was ending at some horrible hour in the middle of the night, and luckily none of the other bidders were awake at 2a.m. to bid on this machine and hike up the price. I was able to win the auction with a bid that was less than 1/3 of the price of a new machine - oh and this is a new machine in the box with all of the paperwork - yep, I'm bragging! :)

Then I stumbled across a lady on Craigslist that had a bunch of cartridges for sale - Yep, you guessed it - I snatched them up! I was able to find 4 new cartridges, still sealed in the plastic box for about $10 each. Now if anyone knows anything about Cricut, these same cartridges retail for anywhere from $40 to $80 each!

I've been spending time bonding with my new Cricut, but there is most definitely a learning curve. It's not difficult, but there are so many features on this machine, I don't know if I will ever figure it all out. Right now I'm a bit overwhelmed with all of the project ideas and websites that are devoted to Cricut projects, I need some time to digest everything that I've read and just go ahead and jump in with both feet and get busy.

So see... It was meant to be!!! I was meant to have this fun little Cricut!

Now to get busy making Bailey's 4-H scrapbook that is a requirement of her Calf Scramble winnings $$$??? (I had no idea how elaborate these scrapbook get to be...until I saw one at the 4-H Banquet - WOW!!!) Originally I had planned on putting together a digital scrapbook for this requirement and had even started on a few pages....




Apparently, the sponsors want to see honest-to-goodness scrapbooks with paper and glue?? Oh well, back to the drawing board!

Hopefully in the near future, I will be able to share with you some of my Cricut creations?
Keep checking back for glimpses of my creative abilities? If nothing else, my attempts should be good for a laugh or two? :)

Just 'Cause

Maybe it's the rainy weather we've had for the past 5 days, I'm not sure? I'm in some sort of weird melancholy mood and really missing my grandmother, so I thought I would share some pictures of the flowers in her yard.

I think a coke from Sonic will make me feel better? LOL


OH and the Collage Maker feature on Picasa is really fun too!

Vacation Pics - Part Three

Bailey and her friend took a ride on a Virtual Roller Coaster... They had a blast! Bailey had done this previously, but she never gets tired of these rides, but then again - I guess I didn't tire of them either when I was 13!

Even Briley got in on the virtual roller coaster ride - she LOVED it! I was a little concerned at first since they basically lock you up in this compartment and then you flip and flop around in it while 'watching' a roller coaster ride, but Briley did great and came out laughing!

Point of interest in this picture: Notice the HUGE Goose Egg on Briley's forehead... this happened the first day we were in the Condo. She dropped something on the bathroom floor and when she bent down to pick it up, she hit her head on the marble counter top - UH - yes - she had the goose egg.. ALL WEEK... and everywhere we went, folks were asking her about it! At least her story didn't change? LOL

On another note - The Lovely Plastic HOOK - well that is what you get after you spend $30 in tokens playing goofy little arcade games! I guess it's safe to say that we did our part to stimulate the ailing economy! We left a lot of our money there for the arcade to use! LOL Oh well - it's vacation!

Briley and I taking a turn at the go-karts! Let me just say - those youngsters are rough and really do bump into you... Briley and I were not expecting to have whiplash! LOL But it was fun, nonetheless!

(I'm slowly coming to terms that this is my body and it's going to take a lot of work to change it! I'll be 40 in less than a month - I guess the ole' metabolism has just completely stalled out on me! It's time to get busy, if I want to slim down? Or maybe I could just embrace this whole 'new' me in the next phase of my life? I'll let you know later what I decide! I'm not necessarily motivated at this point to do much of anything!)

I don't know why we only go to these sorts of places when we are on vacation? I mean... they have these fun places in the metroplex, but we NEVER go... probably because it's a huge money pit!

One evening we spent the time walking and looking around at the 'outdoor' shopping mall - which luckily they had a bungee jumpy thing set up and both of the girls felt the need to give it at try.

It was fun to watch - some kids really got into and figured out how to do several flips, however my girls weren't quite as adventurous, but it was fun, just the same. The next day Briley mentioned that her stomach muscles were sore? Hmmm??? I wonder why? Could it be that she had pulled them in all sorts of directions? Ha Ha!

REALITY IS:

1) Vacation is over and I am back at work;

(yes, these are my ugly feet in the sand)

2) There are stacks and stacks of work waiting in my in-box to get done; and

3) The Back-to-School commercials are running on TV and it's inevitable that school will be starting in less than a month - which means SHOPPING for back-to-school clothes. Luckily we wear uniforms, and once I figure out the style and size, I can order the majority of the clothes on-line.

(These two can't be trusted! They are partners in crime!)

But in the meantime.... I'll share some pictures of our vacation.

The waves were absolutely wonderful -clear water and no seaweed, PERFECT!

Both of these pictures were taken from the balcony of our condo!

I have about 400 more pictures to download, but don't worry - I'll be back with more of our fun times in Panama City Beach!

More Photo Tweeking...

I am going to try and show a before and after shot. I am having so much fun playing with pictures and learning to use all of the gadgets and buttons on my camera!

Here is a quick shot of a sweaty little Briley at the ball field SOOC (Straight out of the Camera)

Here's the same picture after I did a little playing around with it!
I LOVE this stuff!

Taking Sr. Pictures

It's that time of year for all High School Sr's....time to submit the photos that they want to be incorporated into the Sr. CD to be handed down from generation to generation. Suddenly a panic struck our home because the deadline is coming up and WE (Brit) doesn't have any that she thinks are 'good enough' to be submitted. Nevermind the fact that I've already paid close to $500 for the studio shots... UGH.... Okay, so I'm frugal... I don't deny it and suggested that I take some pics of her and we could tweek them to her approval. After a brisk day at the garden center and a few rolling eyeball shot, I came up with a few pictures that I think are worthy of any professional photography session. Tell me what you think? These are just a few that I have played with this morning, as we took 145 pictures yesterday. I had a lot of fun, I hope you enjoy them as much as I enjoyed taking them.

Do you speak 'teenager'?

I guess I'm out of the link.... I don't speak it and can barely interpret the teenage language! Last night as we are all standing around the bar eating dinner (Note to self - pizza delivery and standing at the kitchen bar doesn't consitute a family meal...) I began to listen to my teens. I guess I never really took the time or was conscious enough to care before now, but they are butchering the English language - LOL. Not only were there so many grammatical errors, but the use of words was appauling! (I can say this because they are my monsters and I don't really think they speak this way in public?) Along with the corruption of the speaking skills, they have mastered speaking with their mouths full and mumbling! Where oh where did I go wrong? Obviously this is some horrible effect of public school and eating in the cafeteria?

Every other word was 'freaking'! (insert rolling eyes) This is one of my least favorite words, not that I don't say it occassionally, but for some reason I think it looks/sounds really tacky when a 13 year old rattles it out of their mouth? I rank it right up there with the really ugly ones and get so tired of hearing it around the house. Here are a few of the terms I heard last night:

freakin' TV

dang chair

stupid guy

lesbo girl

retardo

crap

Oh My Gosh!! Let me offer a bit of a disclaimer here ~ I did try to correct them and their language and luckily Briley was too involved in her hamburger pizza and the Sponge Bob cartoon to pay attention to the words flying around the pizza!

Are these kids allowed to speak this way in their classrooms? I just don't understand how the teenage language has become so 'raw'? On second thought, maybe I should be glad that my kids are atleast communicating with me and each other? Hmmmm???? Something to think about!

AHHHH CHOOOOOOOO..........

Sorry about that, but with the arrival of spring and all of it's perks, we get the not so perky parts as well - sneeze, sniff, sniff.... snort..... aahhhh choooo......... !!!!!!

Here are some lovely pictures of the problem causing plants - I snapped these while at the ball field this weekend - Enjoy, but don't get too close - they might make you sneeze!~Before~

~After~

The Blue Bonnets this year have been very pretty and very full along the sides of the highways. I wonder if it has anything to do with all of the rain we've had this year. It seems like their colors are so much brighter than usual. I have been wanting to stop and take a picture along side of the highway, but I'm just a bit frightened to pull over on the highway and snap a shot - those cars kinda scare me?

First Coach-Pitch Softball Game....

Made it all the way around and scored one for the TEAM!! Woo HOOO!!!!!

First up, is Briley and her very first Coach-Pitch softball game. Her team didn't win, but then again they didn't get stomped either! The final score was 4 to 6, and condering that the majority of our team had never played ball before and the other team is in their last year of coach-pitch and apparently they were corn fed ~if you know what I mean ~ so we'll take this first game and play on LOL

So here are my pictures of the game - well maybe not the game, it's more like just pics of Briley.

Dad and Bailey - how interested do they look? Not very~!

Woo Hoo.... she made it to 1st base! And yes, that's Bailey the 1st Base Coach!

Without a doubt, the cutest 3rd baseman EVER! LOL