Where has the week gone?

Man, what a week this has been. Between Luiza starting school, all the programs that I oversee at the Salvation Army starting up, working at the doctor's office, and taking care of all the other little things, I looked up and BOOM, it was Thursday.

Well, Luiza is having a blast at school. She absolutely loves it. Apparently she was ready. Monday, she came home telling me that she was mad she didn't get to swim. I really wanted to say "I told you so!" but I thought that might not be the best choice of words to use. So I opted for "remember how we talked about preschool not being a place where you swim?" She was not so fond of that answer anymore than if I had said I told you so. Then Wednesday, she was ticked that she didn't get to paint. I reminded er yet again that school is for learning LOTs of things, not just painting. See you have to understand that her teacher is my best friend, and a person that has spoiled Luiza to death with anything and everything she has ever wanted!!!!! So for Luiza to tell Anne that she wants to paint, and for Anne to tell her that painting comes later is a total foreign concept to her. But it is one that she is learning. She really seems to like all the kids, and I can already tell a difference in how she carries herself. She's becoming such a grown up little girl. (I'm not sure I like this....I think I still want my little baby back)

Next Monday she starts going 3 full days a week. In the morning she will continue going to her normal American preschool, then in the afternoon she will be going to her new Chinese preschool right across the hall. I know, I know, you are probably reading this, and going back and rereading that line, but let me tell you , you read it right. My little Rushkey is going to be learning Chinese. It has been a program that has been in the works now for 4 years, Oakland county being the only one, aside from the pilot school in Lansing, where this is offered. Currently Luiza's preschool is the only one right now that is offering it for this age group. So after much thought, prayer, and research, I decided to give it a try. If it doesn't work out, I've already talked with the teachers and told them I would pull her out, but Luiza is tickled pink to start her Chinese class because she thinks Mulan is her teacher. (for those of you reading this that may not know who Mulan is, she is an Asian character from a Disney movie that Luiza just adores.) Hey, if that is what she wants to think, I say go for it!!!!!!!!!

Well, I'm going to head off to bed. Talk to you soon.

Blessings!

Guess Who Started Preschool Today?

(Well here she is, my little preschooler!!!!!!!!)

If you guessed me, you were wrong...It was Luiza!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! My baby is a preschooler. I can't believe it. She was such a big girl. Walking up to the school, I had tears in my eyes just thinking of how far my little girl has come. And now here she was holding my hand walking in to her new school for an amazing adventure. She had a great time, meeting new friends (15 according to her) playing outside, coloring, learning new songs, and just having a blast. Both her teacher and I really expected her to be the observer, especially during this first week. Well, we could not have been more wrong.....apparently she was quite the social butterfly, playing with all the kids, and making the ones that were having a hard time, feel at ease. What a great feeling to know that my child has a heart, and a gift for reaching out to hurting kids. IT made my heart swell when her teacher told me that.

I'm so proud of you Luiza. Thank you for being such a big girl, I love you.

The Dreaded "D" word

This is a picture of Luiza took of me at the cottage this past weekend, not bad for a little girl who could barely hold the camera up.

OK, well I officially started my diet today. (see I told you it was the dreaded "D" word. ) I was doing so good a few months back, but then I through my back out, and I never got back on track. Bad Sarah, bad, bad Sarah. But now I am ready to go for it again. I love the show Biggest Looser, and since it started last night, I am so excited to be "dieting" right along with them. I figured if I put it out there in blog land that this is what I was doing, I would have a more people to be accountable too. If any of you out there would like to join in the weight loss crusade with me, please do. We can do it together, exchange healthy recipes, possibly meet as a group for a walk or bike ride, encourage each other and be each other's alli's. I think it would be fun, and being accountable to others is a great way to stay motivated.

OK, enough about that, let's talk about something FUN!!! How about scrapbooking? I'm putting this out here as a reminder for those of you that ignore your emails, this Friday is scrapbooking at the Salvation Army, please let me know if you will be able to attend. Also, I am taking "reservations" if you will for the Scrapbooking Retreat, Oct. 19th & 20th. (marcie, I know you are reading this...you better come) It is going to be a very relaxing, enjoyable, productive, memorable, and exciting weekend. I hope that all will be able to attend. Invite a friend, or bring a family member, but what ever you do, do not miss out on this. There are fun things planned for the weekend, but there is still PLENTY of time to accomplish projects and layouts gallore. Sign up is going on right now, if you need more details please email and I will answer all your little questions.

I also wanted to draw your attention to a new link I added to my "Favorite Blogs" section to the left...My friend Niki Bakeman is the most AMAZING photographer I have come across. Her eye for design is amazing, and enthusiasm is contagious. If you want beautiful pictures of your family, your kids, you alone, your pets, whatever, than go here. I'm telling you you will not be disappointed. When Luiza and I had our pictures taken we went to the gardens of Cranbrook. Holy Smoke. Amazing.

Well I think that is all for today. Talk to you tomorrow.

Blessings

I'm Back..

(don't you just love the new fake 4 year old smile?)

Well happy belated Labor Day to everyone out there in blog land. I hope you all had a great time enjoying the time off. I had a BLAST!! Luiza and I went up to the cottage, and let me tell you we could not have asked for a better weekend (well, it would have if I had remembered my bathing suit, but I'm sure the people around me were thrilled I forgot it) I won't go into detail, but I will give you a run down:

BBQ Ribs

Sun

Scrapbooking outside

Homemade Ice Cream

Boat Rides

Momma Julia's Rolls

A Prime Rib birthday dinner

Falling asleep watching the Food Network

Catching frogs

Swinging on the swing

Double Chocolate Birthday cupcakes made from scratch

Feeding the "swans" - really just a swarm of sea gulls that appeared

Driving the tractor

Cleaning up the seaweed - yes, I find this extremely relaxing fun to do, not to mention my only form of exercising I do while there.

Watching Luiza jump off the dock

Luiza and Papa Fishing

Luiza and Gramma J making pancakes

All of us enjoying one another's company

We really did have so much fun. Here are a few pictures from the weekend, and since I was not here for Favorite Photo Friday, consider a few of these my entry.

Talk to you soon

Blessings

Remember Me?

Let me reintroduce myself...my name is Sarah, and I am the bad owner of this blog. Seriously, it has been a week since I last posted. What a looser I am. But I'm here now, so that has to say something, right? Well it's not like I was hanging around the house, chillin', I was actually working. I was called in last week, and this week to fill in at the Doctors office, so that's where I have been. By the time I got home, spent time with Weezer, I was too exhausted to put forth the effort to write anything worth reading. But...I am home today, so let's chat.

I'll give you a run down of the Shananigans that have been going on since my last Post:

Friday: Worked until 6pm, Momma Julia came over to scrap, lost power due to the thunder storm, had an incredible Italian dinner from Silas, pretended to scrap, but really just talked until 11pm, went to bed.

Saturday: Worked until 2pm, came home, read Luiza about 30 books on the porch, colored at the dining room table, went and got a few movies to rent, and then chilled out the rest of the night.

Sunday: We went to church, came home had lunch, I hooked up the kids bike thingy to my bike and took Luiza for a bike ride (man that is a work out) got creative with scrapbooking while Luiza played with her American Doll in my scrapbook room, folded a few loads of laundry, had a little dinner, read a few books and headed off to bed.

Monday: Worked until 6pm, came home chilled outside with Luiza

Tuesday: Worked until 6pm, went right to a Preschooler Parents meeting at Luiza's new school (incrediable adventure for her starting in Sept. stay tuned for that info later on) got home about 7:30, watched a movie with her, read books, sang songs, and headed off to bed.

Wednesday: Worked until 6pm, picked up dinner, returned the movies we had rented & picked up a few more like Blades of Glory with Will Farrell (you might think we rent alot of movies, but this is how I unwind, since I don't have cable) played sharks with Luiza, dressed and redressed her American Doll Kit about 40 times, let her watch a short movie, read Brown Bear, Brown Bear (her favorite book ever, really anything Eric Carle she loves) sang a few songs, and beddy bye time. Then I watched Blades of Glory (laughed so hard) stayed up way to late 1:30am, and then went to bed myself.

Which brings me now to Thursday. Today my dad, Luiza and I were going to head up to the cottage to beat the traffic, but we have opted to leave tomorrow morning. These last few years it seems that I have been up there for my birthday, or as I like to think of it, the anniversary of my 20th birthday (13 years to be exact!) Anyway, with the whole day ahead of me, I'm going to catch up on my blog (CHECK) shower, clean the bathroom, tidy up Luiza's room, pack, and then probably go for a bike ride up to the park or something.

Well I think has just about covered it. I will be away from the computer until Tuesday. Then I will have lots of fun things to share, as well as some pictures. Today I leave you with these scrapbooking layouts that I actually completed. Don't faint!!!!!

Also, before I forget, the Scrapbookers Fall Retreat is just around the corner. I would LOVE it if you could all attend. This year I am going to have a few new things planned, plus include all of the old favorites. Mark it on your calendar, October 19th & 20th, and let me know if you plan on attending (even if it is just for one of the days)

Talk to you Tuesday!

Blessings

Thursday? (Life Challenge #2)

I can't believe that it is Thursday already. I mean what happened to Monday, Tuesday & Wednesday? Seriously it feels like it was just Sunday. Oh well, nothing I can do about it now. I have been busy, I can say that.

Monday: Finished cleaning the rest of my Aunt Marilyn's house (hi, Aunt Marilyn) I was going to finish it up on Saturday, until I realized that I would have had to cross Woodward, while the Dream Cruise was happening, and as most of you know...I don't do the Dream Cruise. Once I finished there, I headed home, played with Luiza indoors and chilled out for a bit since it was raining.

Tuesday: I was supposed to go with my dad to start taking apart a swing set that we are getting, but do to the weather we had to postpone. So instead I decided to clean my scrapbook room. My friend Lisa was supposed to come over that night to scrap, and there would have been no place for her to sit. So I cleaned, only to find out she had totally forgotten that she was at Cedar Point, and wouldn't be home. Then around 4pm, my brother Joe came and picked me up, we went and cleaned windows at a couple of places, and once we were done we went and got some dinner. Yummy!!!!!!!!

Wednesday: Holy Guacamole, could it have been any muggier? (is that real word? well it is now) It was awful. While Luiza and Ella were playing together I decided that I would try to get a few scrapbooking layouts done for my friend Marcie (yes, she pays me to do her scrapbook pages for her. she does all the journaling and I do the rest. it is a great partnership that both of us are happy with) Anyhoo, after a little creative time (no I did not complete the layout) I went to the airport to pick up my Aunt Marilyn, Uncle Jon & my cousin Tom. After I got home, Luiza and I jumped back in the car and headed off to my dad's house to pick him up so that we could start working on getting the swing set apart. It was while doing this "project" that I realized just how hot it was........I was dripping. YUCK! After Luiza and I revived ourselves in the air conditioning, there was just enough time for a few songs, before it was time for prayers, and beddy bye time.

Which now brings us to Thursday. See it just popped up out of nowhere. It wasn't even like I did anything special throughout the week, but for some reason, all the boring little things really piled up and wiped me out.

Now tonight, my mom is taking the blind couple shopping, and after Luiza is done with her bath and tucked in her bed, I plan on watching "Harry Potter, the Prisoner from Azkaban." I finished the book today and since that is one of the movies Steven DVRed for me, I'm going to watch it

Speaking of DVR, I was telling you guys how my friend Steven had recorded all of the Planet Earth episodes for me, correct? Well, I can no longer watch them. Tuesday, it finally hit me as I was in my scrapbook room with Ella and Luiza coloring, sobbing my eyes out, that maybe I can't handle them. I mean I was a mess, then when I started telling Leslie about it later that night, I started crying again. She asked me if watching the animals kill each other bothered me, and I told her, that even though that was sad, I realize that is part of nature. However what bothers me the most is the destruction that we humans are doing to this earth, that is causing horrible things to happen to these animals. I can't go into detail, because already thinking about it, I am crying. So here is my delema, had I not watched some of those shows, it would not have hit me so hard as it has, in regards to taking care of our planet, but if I do keep watching them in hopes of learning more about what we had done, and what we can do to help correct it, I am going ot be an emotional mess. Our family, has really tried to make a conscious effort in being more green. Had I not seen those Planet Earth episodes, I probably would never have know just how bad our choices have been, not only for us, but for the animals that live here. I don't mean to go all "tree hugger" on you all, but whether you are an animal lover or not, the choices in how we live our lives are having a HUGE, and negative effect on this planet...HUGE. And I for one, have decided that I can no longer sit by and do nothing. Even if I can't change everything at once, I can change some.

So I have a Life Challenge for all of you that are reading this. I challenge all of you do doing something positive for the environment. Here is a short list of the few things that I came up with that you could start doing:

recycling your trash, turning off all electric household items (just because they are off, they are still using phantom energy, which means you need to plug as many things as you can into serge protection strips, that way with the flick of a switch, the power really is off) Biodegradable/earth friendly cleaning products, buying local & organic foods, washing clothes in cold or warm water only (not Hot), not using the Heat Drying function on your dish washer, walking, riding your bike or taking public transportation whenever possible, changing your light bulbs to energy efficient ones, making sure your house is insulated properly to avoid precious heat & cooled air from escaping...the list goes on and on.

So there you have it, pick something big or something small to do, but do something. I would love to hear what you are currently doing, and what you going to do. So post a comment int he comment section of this post. I will be doing random drawing for everyone that participates.

Talk to you soon.

Blessings.

Don't Ya Just LOVE Rainy Sundays????

I do. That way there is no guilt with me doing what I want to do, which today was scrapbooking. After church, we came home, had a little lunch and then I headed up to my happy place to play. My friend Steven gave me his old DVR that he had recorded a TON of Planet Earth episodes for me, so I hooked that up to my little TV in my scrap room, and I played while I watched some Planet Earth. Speaking of which has anyone else seen any of this series? It is unbelievble. Highly recommended. I've already learned so much about our planet that I never knew; from the animals that roam it, to the ocean, mountains and everything in between. It is totally mind blowing. It's shows like this that make me miss having cable. But THANK YOU Steven for recording them all for me. (See I really do love you, I'm sending you a "shout out"!)

Well our Picnic on the floor Movie Night was a success. Luiza was a little confused as to why I had made a big "bed" on the floor with pillows and blankets. She asked me if she was sick, I had to think about why she would be asking me a question like that, and then it hit me. The two times she has been sick I have made her a snuggly bed on the couch and I myself a bed on the floor next to her. So she just assumed the same was true this time. I quickly told her that no one was sick (Thank you Jesus for keeping us ALL healthy) and this bed was for our picnic and movie night. She was geeked. We watched Disneys Tarzan & Jane, obviously a continuation of the Disney version of Tarzan. This time Jane and Tarzan are married. It was cute, fortunately however, she fell alseep half way through it, and I got to watch the movie that I rented, Fractured, starring Anthony Hopkins and Ryan Gosling. Pretty good.

Well I think I am going to go snuggle with my girl. She's still up ya know. The draw back of rainy Sundays...no wear-the-kids-out-so-they-go-to-bed-early-outside-time.

Talk to you all tomorrow.
Blessings!

**sorry no photo, the computer is so slow tonight, I didn't want to wait for it to download**

Favorite Photo Friday...even though it's Saturday!

****EDIT TO POST**** I must appologize for my mistake in naming Tammy the winner of the "Guess How Much Cardstock I Have?" contest. As it turns out, I misread the name. However, due to this being MY error, I will still award Tammy a prize, just because it was not her fault I was a dork, PLUS, I will give the rightfull winner, Beth Gorney, the prize that she won. So Beth, maybe this is a good reason to get you to scrapbooking, you need to now pick up your prize. Thank you to the lady or ladies, that pointed out my error.


I MUST apologize for being so lax with my posting, the end of the week got a little crazy. I was called into work at the Drs office, and well.....things got missed, including my Favorite Photo on Friday, so I figured that nobody would mind if I posted it on Saturday, and since it is my blog I can do WHATEVER I want. So this is my favorite photo today...it really shows Luiza and I living life. Obviously it is not the best picture, the lighting is off, the composition is non-existant, but I love it regardless. It was taken at the cottage while Luiza and I were playing hide and go seek around the cars. I jumped out and scared the living daylights out of her, and this is the picture that my dad captured. Good times, livin' life.





In other news, CONGRATULATIONS Tammy on being the closest in guessing how much cardstock I have. I was telling the girls last night at scrapbooking that I was a little offended with some of their guesses. Marcie (love ya lots!) guessed 72 different shades of cardstock, I mean please. Then Rebecca (notice the name) insulted me again with a guess of 97. 97????? Please Luiza has 97 shades of cardstock in her stash. Then there was Christy. I really thought that if anyone was going to get it it was going to be her. She's knows I'm sick...I mean addicted,... yeah addited. But even she under estimated the sickness...I mean addiction. But Tammy, Dear Sweet Tammy, she dug down and really thought about it, and let me tell you she was close. Her guess...150. However friends, even that is not correct. Now before I admit how many different shades of cardstock I have in my "collection" let me just REMIND everyone, that cardstock is the backbone, the skeletal system of scrapbooking, if you will. (Is anyone buying this crap?????? Didn't think so) Ok, so I have 171 different shades of cardstock. THere I said it. Actually it was 168, until I realized I had 3 unopened packages of BEAUTIFUL, unused Stampin' Up In Color cardstock sitting neatly in my travel bag, just beggin" to be opened. So Tammy, thank you. Thank you for not insulting me with a number like 72 or 97, but for digging deep and choosing 150. You will be handsomly rewarded, and a gift basket full of fun, new scrapbooking supplies, including cardstock, will be dropped off at your door!!!! Congratulations again. I was thinking about the next question, and thought maybe Iwould have you guess how much patterened paper I have, but let's not go there. Keep checking back often as I will be randomly posting questions and contests.





Well I'm off to have a picnic on the family room floor and movie night with my Weezer Hope you all have a great weekend. Talk to you tomorrow.


Blessings!

Happy Hump Day!!!!

It's Wednesday!!!!! Yippeeee...that means we just have two more days until it is time to scrapbook! As a Bonus, I have decided to run a contest from now until Friday morning (so if you want to participate make sure you leave your answer, along with your name in the comment section of this post.) Here is the contest..."As most of you know, I am addicted to scrapbooking paper, if you can correctly guess how many colors of cardstock I currently have in my stash, I will have a great prize for you. Now, I will be taking the closest number without going over. One guess per person." Good Luck!!!!!!!

I'm so excited for Friday, because my plan is to get a project that I have been working on for a few weeks completed...hey! stop rolling your eyes at me, I really am going to finish it. I've wanted to scrapbook so much this week, but for what ever reason, I just can't seem to pull myself in the direction of doing it. However, on a positive note I have been very productive. I organized the pantry in the basement, and completed 3 loads of laundry.

I've neglected my camera for the last 2 days so I don't have any updated pictures to add of Weezer, but I will post one of my favorites ...Ali Edwards and I at CKU!!!!!!!

(I thought it was about time that I included a picture of my little Monkey Noodle aka Mia)

What a day!! Two loads of laundry...done. Clean Kitchen...done. Clean Neighbor's House...done. Bake Zucchini Bread...done. Shower...done. Email financial advisor...done. Walk dogs...done. Clear off family room stairs...done. Organize stamp pads...done. Email scrapbookers regarding Friday night crop...done. Kiss Luiza...done lots of times today. Make grocery list...done. Send out resumes...done. Watch "Prince of Egypt" with Luiza...done.

Man it felt good to get so much checked off my "To Do List." I don't know what it is but I am in a total cleaning mode. Could be worse...I could be in a total messing it all up mode. **giggle**giggle**

Life Challenge #1: Complete something on your To Do List that you keep putting off.

Until we meet again.

Blessings.

Friday Post Part II

OH MY GOSH!!!!!!!!!!!! I just spent close to a half hour typing out this post, my computer sneezed, and I lost the WHOLE THING!!

Well folks, I am not going to retype it all (it was soooo long) so I will leave you with a few photos. The first few are of my Weezer, stitch free...and the next two pictures are of what I did today, organized and cleaned her room.

Let's talk tomorrow!

Blessings!

Favorite Photo Friday...part I

Well I think in keeping with a blogging tradition we are going to make Fridays "Favorite Photo Friday". So here is one of my favorite photos. It's the first picture I ever saw of my little Weezer-Peezer-Lemon-Squeezer-Jelly Belly-Japaneezer... I mean just look at that dress! Man does this bring back a TON of memories. There was so much going on at that time that it was hard to sit back and take it all in. But now sitting here looking at this photo I am reminded of how awesome God is and how He had a plan for the two of us.

I will be posting more later today. Luiza and I have a busy day and lots to talk, or blog about. So until we meet again, sit back and enjoy one of my favorite photos!

Blessings!

Black and Blue Eyed Girl

Well by now many of you have heard of Luiza's run in with Mike Tyson (aka Eli the dog) Everything is healing nicely, and from the way she is acting, you would NEVER know anything happened. I did tell her however, that she has had her first and last trip to the ER, so from now on she will be living life in a bubble. I think I handled myself very well throughout the whole ordeal (in fact so well the nurses and doctors even made a comment about how calm I was) I mean don't get me wrong I was totally freaking out, but when you are the only parent (totally pulling out the "single mom card") you don't have the luxury of freaking out. I needed to be calm for her, so I was, and as a result, she was calm.

So for everyone that was praying for her...Thank you! Thank you from the bottom of my heart for thinking of my little girl and caring enough about her well being to take the time out of your day to think of her. Well are both so fortunate to be surrounded by such wonderful family and friends.

Change of subject.....I am so excited, tonight I have decided that I am going to have some much needed "ME TIME", and I am choosing to go up in my scrapbook room and get messy. I have been dying to scrap, but with everything that has been going on this week (ER trips, follow up doctors appointments 3 days in a row) my playtime has been pushed aside. However I ordered a bunch of new stuff from here, and now Iam so excited to use my new stuff. So after little 'whose-in-has-it" has gone nighty night, I will be pouring myself a deliciously chilled Diet Cherry Coke, grabbing a chick flick and heading upstairs to my happy place. Speaking of happy places, tell me your happy place. Leave me a comment in the comment section of this post. I will do a random drawing, and the winner will be receiving some fun "Happy Mail" from me.

Well I think I am going to head off to the kitchen. I need to make dinner..on the menu: Mexican. Plus I have some peanut butter cookies that need to come out of the oven. Ok, until tomorrow.

Welcome

Welcome everyone (and I use this term loosely, since I can't imagine there is an outpouring of supporters just yet to my blog) This is the first entry to my new blog, Daily Shinanigans. I figured I should name my blog something that reflects the way my life is going right now, but with a positive twist. Rather than name it "out of control chias" I figured something cute like "shinanigans" would fair much better.

So check back often. I'm really going to make an effort to keep this online journal up, updating with pictures for out of state relatives and friends (once I learn how to add them) challenges for my scrapbooking group (Halla!) and anything else that needs to be tended too.

So until tomorrow, I leave you with my first attempt at including a picture. Cross your fingers.