2013 Chalkboard Art Printable

I'm so obsessed lately with all things chalkboard, and chalkboard art.  I have a Pinterest board dedicated to my love of chalkboards.  Soooo, I couldn't resist, and made my own little 2013 printable.  It's full of inspiration for the new year ahead!  Happy New Year's Day!

Happy New Year!

It's hard to believe another year is coming to a close!  I'm excited for new experiences with my family, possibilities, the journey ahead, my first full year being 40, things I'm going to learn, and things I'm going to create!!  I'm excited about my photography!  I'm excited that I will be learning to say NO!  I don't like to make resolutions, since it's hard for me to keep them.  I like to make goals instead. 

In 2013, I want to devote my full attention to my kids, and spend less time on orders.  I have been thinking long and hard in deciding whether to give up my little girly business.  That, I must decide on.  I love creating, and love the colors, the sparkles, the glitter, the glue, the excitement of making pretties for other people.  But, my customers will never know the sacrifices that my kids have made so I can get their orders to them. The trips to Hobby Lobby, Michael's, the shipping store several times a week after school, the late nights, the movie nights that I have missed so I can meet deadlines, the times when I'm not all there when they talk to me, and the mess in my kitchen where I work.   This stay-at-home mom enjoys a little extra money, but it really isn't worth it all knowing how much time I miss with them!!  I'm ready to do pretties again for my own girly and me!!  We're always last.

I want to date my honey again, once a month, at least!  Also, I want to spend more time with my parents.  Life gets crazy with all our weekly activities with the kids, then sports on the weekends, and birthday parties.  I want to make them a priority too!  We recently saw Parental Guidance and it tugged at my heartstrings when Billy Crystal's character mentioned to his daughter that she went away to college and stopped coming home, then she got married and came home even less, then had her own family and never came home.  It made me sad!  I want to be sure to make it a point to drive 15 minutes to go bring them dinner and spend more time with them. 

I also am pumped about diving into Photoshop, and can't wait to play around with my
Oh So Posh Photography actions that my mom and sister gifted me for Christmas.  I plan on making photo books instead of keeping all my thousands of pictures on my laptop.  There are so many home projects I want to do, but better take advantage before baseball season starts.  And, I'm planning on random acts of kindness more often. 

It's time to start with a fresh, clean slate!  Good bye 2012!  I'm looking forward to a brand new year!  Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one, Happy New Year!!!  Hello 2013!

Yay!! I just finished our Christmas card for this year!   I haven't done cards for three years, so I'm a little excited. Yes, I waited too long again, so my friends and family probably won't get them until after Christmas. These are just shots from my cell phone. I waited too long to get the photographer's pics. There's always next year!!

Stationery card

View the entire collection of cards.

Forty Things

 

 

Today has finally arrived!  The day I turned 40 years old!!!  Time really flies when I think that Tim and I have been together since we were 18!!

In honor of turning 40, these are 40 things about me!

1.  I was born on 11-20 at 11:20am, my mom calls me every year at my actual birth time, I love that!

2.  My favorite time of year is fall when we can all be outside again after being stuck in air conditioning all summer long.

3.  I'm addicted to glitter, my glue gun, ribbons, and paper pretties!  I love to craft, if only I had more time!

4.  I'm so blessed to have wonderful, caring parents who have been married 45 years and have taught me values, lessons, and compassion.

5.  I am such a baby, and cry so easily at everything!  Commercials, movies, babies, I should just keep a tissue in my hands all the times!!

6.  My nose knows, I have a strong detection of scents and  I secretly love the smell of skunks!  Except, at night if the windows are open if it's cold out!

7.  I'm obsessed with Christmas decorating...there has to be a tree in every room (except bathrooms).  I have two up so far and have six more to go!

8.  My favorite color is hot pink.

9.  I have names for my big left and right toes.  For some reason Latreca always gets kicked, Rhonda seems to do ok, except her baby toe sister that I kicked on the bathtub by accident recently and has left me limping lately!

10.  My favorite scripture is Philippians 4:13.

11.  I love to clean, always have!  Almost obsessed, have to have it clean before I can enjoy anything I really want to do.  I guess that's why I never get anything done, like blog!!

12.  I cannot live without Sonic's Strawberry Limeades.

13.  Or, Pumpkin Spice Lattes from Starbuck's

14.  Or, sweet tea from McCallister's Deli, or any tea for that matter.

15.  I love to grocery shop!!  Most people can't stand it.  I love to look at all the possibililities and take my time strolling along.  The sights and smells and samples are the best.  I am an HEB snob!

16.  I would love to live in the country on tons of land, in a cute little house with a front porch, a picket fence, old wood floors, and tons of antiques, and a sky full of stars!

17.  I am an introvert and need my quiet time or I go cray cray!  Taken from a fellow Instagrammer (ani_rdz), "Quiet people have the loudest minds!"  Sometimes my quietness has come off as snobbiness, which is furthest from the truth, and I can't stand that!

18.   I LOVE to cook and bake.  That is my time to unwind and chill out, it's so relaxing to me!  I love to throw in my favorite jazz music - Chris Botti and Peter White and an occasional glass of wine.

19.  Photography is my passion.  I'm known to have my camera or iPhone whipped out in a flash!  Now, if I could only figure out what to do with all my pictures!  I wish I had an iPhone when my babies were little!

20.  I love to snuggle with my babies under soft, warm blankets.  It's the best feeling ever!

21.  My favorite singers are Carrie Underwood, and John Mayer (that voice)!

22.  I'm a soupie.  I could eat soup all day, every day.  I make a mean tortilla soup!

23.  I miss the fact that I never grew up knowing a grandpa.  One died before I was born, and the other when I was ten.  He lived in another state and I have no memories of him.  When I see little old guys at Walmart or war veterans, it makes me want to adopt them.  It hurts my heart!

24.  I love small towns and unique shops and restaurants!  I would much rather spend money there rather than chains!

25.  My favorite candle is pumpkin spice!  Mmm!

26.  I am a Real Housewives junkie - Atlanta, Beverly Hills, Miami, New Jersey, New York, Orange County.  I have to have complete silence when I watch, no kids allowed, so I can hear every bit of juiciness!!

27.  I once had someone tell me I smiled too much!  That didn't bring me down, that comment makes me smile 10X more today!!!

28.  I am crazy for leopard print!    Seriously!

29.  I started watching The Young and the Restless when I was in 6th grade, and still watch to this day!  Thank goodness for VCR's and DVR!!!

30.  I'm weird about numbers and think things are meant to be - our address is 20919 - my birthday is the 20th, our anniversary is the 9th, and the day Tim and I started dating was March 19th.  All of our birth years equals 72, 7+2=9 (our anniversary), the kids birth years equals 12, 1+2=3 kids.  My birthday and Tim's birthday equals 23, 2+3=5 members in our family!  Call me a dork, is it a coincidence all our numbers are aligned?!

31.  I HATE, I LOATHE emptying the dishwasher!!  So glad that I can toss that chore off to the kids!

32.  My favorite movies are Sixteen Candles, Pretty in Pink, Planes, Trains, and Automobiles, Home Alone, I can almost do those line for line!

33.  I dream to go to Paris one day!!  I want to pig out on French pastries, drink coffee, look at antiques, strolling the streets with my love arm-in-arm observing all the sights and sounds!  Oh, and kiss under the Eiffel Tower.

34.  I had a horrible experience getting four teeth pulled for braces, I felt EVERY bit of the pain as my teeth were yanked.  The dentist called me a baby as I kicked my legs and cried. This is when parents weren't really welcome to go back in the room.   I hate dentists to this day and rest assured, that WILL NOT happen to my kids!!

35.  I'm not much of a drinker.  White wine gives me the worst headache, although I love it so much!  My drink of choice every now and then is a margarita on the rocks, with salt, of course! 

36.  I feel there are no coincidences in life, God has placed people in my life at the most perfect time!

37.  I'm a history buff, I'm not good with dates though.  But, I'm so fascinated at things that have taken place.  One of my favorite series that I still need to finish on NetFlix is called America, The Story of Us! 

38.  My sister Stephanie is my best friend.  We get each other, I love being able to lean on her.  I love you, Steph!

39.  I'm so glad I granted forgiveness to my mother-in-law, Barbara.  She chose to not be very involved in my kids' young lives because she was envious of me that her son married me.  She caused me many tears and much heartache.  I could never understand what my kids did to her.  There were no baking days, no shopping trips, no trips to the store, or even lunch or dinner with them, or trips to the playground.  They lived five minutes away.  She was diagnosed with colon cancer in 2009 and eventually lost her battle on October 22, 2011.  During those years, she tried her hardest to be the grandma that she hadn't been for years.  I give her credit for that.  Although the hurt never will go away, it gets easier.  It was her loss. I was the same person and never changed.  She just never got to know the real me.  There has not been a day go by that I don't think of her.  I'm sad that my husband does not have a mother.  I'm sad that my kids have one less grandparent.  Thank you Jesus for giving me the strength to forgive her.

40.  Creme brulee is my favorite dessert, and I plan on having it tonight at my birthday dinner at my most favorite restaurant, Jaspers!

 

Hello 40!!

For I know the plans I have for you...

This is one of my favorite scriptures and it sums up everything I'm feeling today....my last day of being 39, and my last day in the decade of my 30's.  A whole new decade of possibilities is in front of me!  Tonight, Sydney and I went on a girl date, to dinner and Starbuck's.  She asked me if I'm sad about turning 40.  Up until now, I have have been excited about turning 40.  Now that the time is drawing near, I can't help but feel a little sad.  Maybe it's sadness and fear that I'm moving one step closer to "getting old"! Ha!

Up and on...I'm ready to embrace 40, I'm ready to learn new things and have new experiences.  I'm ready to meet new people.  I'm ready to move away from my baby years.  I'm ready to finally feel a little more free now that my "babies" have gained their independence.  It's time for ME time again!!!  

My FORTIES will bring me elementary school, junior high, high school, braces, teenagers, driving, college, a 25th wedding anniversary to my love, lots of sports and cheer, and homework, life lessons, and coffee!!

My THIRTIES brought me a wonderful career at HP, then the opportunity to leave it all behind to be a stay at home mommy.  Being able to watch my babies grow is one of the greatest gifts I have ever received!  It has been trying at times, but would never change it!  My thirties brought me our first house and two more babies, and a family of five that is now complete!  They brought me struggles with relationships, they brought me cancer of my mother-in-law and then her death, they brought me the true meaning of sacrifice.  They brought me the realization of what is truly important in my life.

The 30's brought out my creativity and expression and gave me the motivation to start my own little business.  They brought me my love for photography.  They brought our whole big family together as we celebrated Grandma Jeanne's 90's birthday.  They brought dreams that came true.  They brought me exhaustion that I have never known before having three kids and all kinds of sports and activities.  They have brought me gray hairs, and wrinkles on my forehead, LOL!

The most exciting part of my thirties was the true relationship I began with Jesus Christ.  He has given me strength when I needed it most.  I learned He was faithful in hearing my prayers.  He has given me relationships with wonderful people that otherwise I would have never known.  He knows my plan and I trust Him completely!  When He quietly speaks to my heart, I listen to Him!

Trust in the Lord with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding
in all your ways submit to him,
and he will make your paths straight.
Proverbs 3:5-6

I can honestly say, that I wouldn't go back for a re-do!  I'm completely happy in my own skin and not so much worried about what anyone thinks of me anymore.  It feels good to have the confidence that I didn't have ten years ago!

Tonight I go to sleep being 39 and thankful for all the wisdom and knowledge I have gained.  I will turn the chapter and hold all the wonderful memories tight that these years have brought me.  Tomorrow, I will wake up beginning a new book!  I can't wait to see what lies ahead!!

I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.
Philippians 4:13

Love my little boy

Some days, he's cranky when he wakes up, and some days he's not.  Brody must have gotten a great night of sleep last night!  My sweet lil' angel was right by my side as I got dressed.  Mr. Coat and Tie gave me his honest opinion on my outfit.  I just got a vest with a little faux fur hood.  He was adament that I did not wear it.  I had the perfect solution...unsnapped the hood off, then suddenly I became "fableeus"!  Brody loved my new boots and helped me zip them up, "Here Shan, let me help you, that looks cute."  Yes, he calls me by my name.  I love it and don't have the heart to tell him to stop calling me by my name.  I am just savoring these last few days of Brody being three.  I am so thankful that my prayers were answered in deciding if our family was complete.  Brody was part of His plan for our family.  He keeps us laughing and we can't imagine our lives without him. 

I had to snap this moment, regardless of the messy background.  Brody just asked me to marry him!  Melted my heart! 

It was a BoSox and bow-tie kinda day, he dressed himself!

Three Brodys 

Cousin time at lunch today.  Brody just can't get enough of Jemma and squeezed the heck out of her and always tries to hold her!

Playin' in the leaves

My sister's birthday...

Friday night was my sister's birthday dinner at Carrabba's, one of our family's favorite places.  There were 17 of us in all including 7 kids! These are some of the pictures of our night! 

The second day of summer was much quieter!  Tim took the boys to baseball, I had planned on going but Sydney had a birthday party.  Caroline's mom offered to take Sydney to the party AND bring her home too!!  Soooo, I suddenly had an eMpTy house and took advantage of the time to go find a dress for Sydney for the Huntoon wedding we attended last night.  What a treat to have shopping time ALONE.  I almost didn't know what to do with myself.  While at Target, families were everywhere.  So many kids where misbehaving badly!!  I wonder how we sound when we are out, I'm sure no better, haha!!
Tomorrow's post...the wedding!