Hello?! Is anybody there?

**As I clear away the cobwebs and dust**

HELLO!!

Here is an update on me.....

Bottom line, I do not spend much time at my computer any more.

Maybe this is a good thing? lol I work 30+ hours a week on one now. So, to come home and be on mine, no no no no! lol I also have to share one computer with 4 others in this house. Two are avid PC gamers. 'Nuff said.

In a complete nutshell, I do not spend much time creating anything like I used to. I was diagnosed back in Kansas by two doctors with Rhumatoid Arthritis. Long story short here, I am just now getting the treatment I need, and it is more serious than at first thought. The meds I am on now are starting to help, but I am in for a long haul and scrapping/stamping has taken a back burner, along with most things I want to/like to/need to do. For a really cool page on RA and what it is all about, check this page out HERE (Thank you to the person that created that page! So helped my kids understand what the heck was going on with me!)

I did finish 3 scrapbooks for my sister. Hundreds of photos from her birth to her wedding. That task took me countless hours over the past 2 years with the help of my daughter Rachel, who is now a certified scrap addict. *smiling in glee* I could not have done the work without Rachel's help!

My wonderful hubby gave me a Cricut Expression for my birthday in May. With my Sports Mania cartridge I cut out footballs and helmets and the letters PATRIOTS for my son Alex's wall in red, white and blue drop shadows.

With my Tinkerbell and Friends cartridge I cut out all kinds of random things and created a Tink wall in my walk in closet in my bedroom. Complete with lots of Stickles, of course!

Now, your saying...Jenn, where's the pictures?

My camera is on the fritz. My flash leaves something to be desired with a orange-ish cast to most pictures. Need to email Santa my wish list. ;)

She's still stamping.....

Jenn, your blog hasn't been updated in 4 months!

I know, I know....

I did not realize how crazy life would really get once I moved and then started working.

I do, on a very rare occasion, get to create a card or two.

And yes, I did create my Christmas cards this year. I did consider buying a box of 100 at the Dollar Tree, but figured I may get lynched by my fellow cardmaker friends if they got one of those from me in the mail!

Most of my "stamping time" consists of just coloring in images. If you recall a blog post from months ago about the tote I carry around with me to games, appointments, etc., ....that is how I have gotten most of my cards created recently.

Lately life has consisted of us getting to know the ER doctors at the hospital on a first name basis. From flu to pnuemonia to toe infections to a dog unprovokingly attacking my youngest son in the neck....that bag full of stamp supplies has held my sanity for countless hours!

(and allowed me to send handmade Christmas cards this year!)

Here are a few of the cards I colored while waiting. the first the bottom 2 cards were with Stampin' Up! images I stamped while creating with my friend.

We are enjoying life here in San Antonio! In has been an adjustment, of course.

San Antonio is amazing.

People....friendly! (Unless they have a steering wheel in their hands!)

Traffic....I will not even comment more than what I said above!

Shopping....name it. It's here. If it isnt here, there's something like it.

Weather....Summer is hot, of course. Winter....It can be chilly, but it is for the most part mild. Especially having it be 80 degrees in the winter and your wearing flip flops on New Years!

Ramblings and babbles.....

Finding time to create anything these days would mean making each day 27 hours, not 24.

I simply run out of time every day. I start off with the best of intentions to spend at least an hour creating something.....only to find that yet another day has passed and I did not accomplish that goal.

I know I have been a lame blogger. Unfortunately, I may get a bit worse for a while. I start a new job tomorrow. Well, I technically started last Friday with orientation. Training lasts 4-5 weeks. I will be working a 12-9 M-F schedule for training. No time for stamping or my family! I will kiss my kids goodbye when they leave for school...and kiss them goodnight when I get home. Ugh, glad this is only training! I will really enjoy weekends!

After training, I will have a daytime schedule. I will be home before my kids are out of school. Yay! Hopefully, by then, life will *flow* a bit better and I will find a slot of time to create again!

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TAC NEWS!!

The Fall Supplement is out...and it is awesome!!

It has been quite a long time since we have seen new designs from Mabelle....and these are just adorable!!

I was thrilled to see a Spanish word set in the supplement! Mixed fonts were used on this set. Some elegant, some plain type. How cool is that?!

And now for more news......

The Angel Company is beginning their Double Dips promotion!

Sept 15-Nov 3

What is Double Dips?

Double hostess benefits!

Double GWPs!

Double half price items!

Sign on bonus!

Craving Ice Cream!

One of the two foods I crave the most is ice cream.

Of course, the other being CHOCOLATE!

I get the most intense cravings at times. I have been known to drive to a 24 hour store to buy ice cream at the wee hours of the morning just to satisfy said craving. Sad, I know.

Same can be said about my chocolate....

Only, I refuse to be without it in the house. I have to have chocolate in my house at all times.

It is a staple. Right up there with toilet paper. ;)

So, the other night, I was craving both. Brownies were baking in my oven.

Ice cream in the freezer waiting for them to finish cooking.

YUMMM!!

Things are finally getting calmer around here since the move, and I had a few minutes to sit at my stamp table to play....this is what I made...

Can ya tell I was REALLY craving ice cream?!

Yes, I FINALLY got to stamp and play with my stuff in my new house! YAY!!

Even if only for a few minutes, and to make a card....it's ok!

And, I have to dedicate this post to my dear friend Sharon. Sharon messaged me this morning to tell me I needed to update my blog! Funny how I just made this card, and was going to post it today..... lol

Miss you too my friend! HUGS!

Stamp set: Ice Cream- TAC The Angel Company

Patterned paper- Kaleidoscope Girlz-TAC The Angel Company

I am back! All moved in to my new home!

Well, we made it to hot and sunny Texas!

We made it down here, and Dolly greeted us about a week later with lots of rain and wind..along with some tornadoes. Ya know, I just can't seem to get away from those things twirlin' around my area!!

Our new home is just BEAUTIFUL!

We have been so busy unpacking, cleaning, painting, buying things for this house and finding our way around San Antonio.

The move was eventful...which is the understatement of the year. To save my typing fingers and you an hour's worth of reading, I will only add that we have never had many items broken in a move! We are up to about $4000 in damages, and we still have boxes to open.

I am unable to upload pictures from my digital camera at this point, because they broke my computer! So glad we carried this laptop!

I guess I should not feel so bad for myself. A friend of mine moved to Germany recently. Her damages are over $7000. When I heard that, I just cringed!

I also got to set up my stamp area! That was the funnest part of unpacking!! ;)

I share the gameroom with the kids. So, I have a corner. I do have most of a large closet with shelves and a big window though! Seeing it all set up makes me *itchy* to get stamping again.

Soon, very soon. I hope!

Closing Day!

Well, today we closed on our first home. It was quite an experience.

For you first timers out there, I do not recommend signing papers 750 miles apart. lol

Not that it could have been done any differently in this case, but, just letting you know....if you are patient, generally calm, have nerves of steel, love unexpected things to happen at the last minute, and do not cry at the drop of a pin....you will do just fine!

Anyhoo, this leads me to why I am posting tonight.

My movers will be here bright & early in the morning.

Not only are they packing up my computer, but my cable, phone and internet are getting shut off too.

I will be away from my blog for a while!

I will be back ASAP!!

HUGS!!

Milestones

Life is all about milestones.

We hit them all the time, sometimes we are unaware we do. We acheive them as we age, we strive for them.

Sometimes, we do not even have to try. They just happen, due to the path of life we choose.

I hit a smaller yet poignant milestone this week. One that hit me with a bittersweet emotional punch.

My husband is a civilian again. He is no longer a soldier in the US Army.

We attended a Goodbye Party some fellow soldiers had for him, and they all addressed him as "Mr Lambert", or "Chris". How strange did that sound to me!?!?!

Then it hit me....

I am no longer an Army wife.

When I came into this life, I knew nothing, nobody, and did not know where to go.

I had some people looking out for me then, and you know who you are.....

THANK YOU!

My husband begins his new job as a *civilian* this coming weekend in San Antonio. He left yesterday with our oldest son and our cat, packing up our car with as much as he could pack in it.

They are officially moved out, and not coming back here. We will all be reunited in 9 days.

That milestone made me cry for an hour!!

I am about to hit a huge milestone in my life next week.

As you know if you read this blog, or know me, I am moving to Texas. Before June 8, 2008, I had never set foot in the state of Texas. We decided, only this past Fall, to get away from the cold & snow, live affordably and be able to buy a house. Go someplace where we could begin a new life, much like we did when we came to Kansas.

My husband and I grew up in the Massachusetts/ New Hampshire area. As much as we want to be back there with our family and love it there, I do have family in Texas too, and the week I spent in San Antonio...I can only quote and echo what others told me...

"I love San Antonio! You will love it there!!"