Race for the Cure

My granny is the reason I love the make things. We made things together for as long as I can remember. We've baked together. We've made baskets. We've quilted. She taught me to create things that are a part of who I am.

My granny died of breast cancer almost four years ago.

Today, my family walked in the Komen Race for the Cure to honor my grandmother.

Someone was missing from the walk today. . .

It's not something we talk about often, but my mom is a breast cancer survivor. I wish she could have been there today to walk with the other survivors.



Meg and Jennifer are best buds. . .


A quick shot of the group (minus Amy and me). . .


How totally Wisconsin is this?

Another Week

How does this happen?
I cannot believe how quickly the weeks happen. I start Monday, hold on tight, and all of a sudden. . . it's Friday!

It's been a great week. Lots accomplished at work, plenty of time spent (and good news from friends), and a great new outfit purchased (think yellow courderoy. . . in a skirt).

Wish I had photos of all of that to share with you. You'll have to settle for some pictures from Brad's marathon.

Seriously. I am so proud of him.

Here is just between miles 14 and 15. Looking great!



He did say that he thought he had the biggest cheering section - especially at the finish line. Here's his nephew with some great signs.



There were some "Team B-Brad" t-shirts. . .


Brad and "his" girls.



Brad, his brother, and the nephews after the race.



I am so very, very proud of Brad. He ran for just over 4 hours (finish time was 4 hours, 11 minutes).

Busy weekend ahead of me. Headed to Milwaukee for a conference and doing the Komen Breast Cancer Walk Saturday to honor my grandmother.

Hoping (desperately!) to find some scrap time - soon! I miss paper!

Ode to B-rad

A few things you should know about Brad. . .

He cleaned our entire house this week. And when I say cleaned, I mean power-cleaned - imagine scrubbing things with a toothbrush. I could serve dinner off my kitchen floor (and I might have to since we have more guests coming tonight than we have chairs).

We celebrated our fourth wedding anniversary on Thursday. Despite a crazy week, we set some time aside to be together. He surprised me with a massage and a pedicure. (He thought that since he's been to the super-nice spa and I haven't, it was about time I went.)

He goes along with all my crazy schemes. . . think jumping pictures and needing to go to sleep at 8:00 p.m. on a Friday night and wanting to eat Dairy Queen all the time and sobbing hysterically about something ridiculous.

He hired someone to come and steam-clean our dog-infested couch. He's a detail man.

He is running 26.2 miles on Sunday. Seriously. This boy quit smoking and started running less than two years ago and is running a marathon - an entire marathon - on Sunday. As much as I tease him ("Fitness Brad"), I'm super-proud of him.

Run Brad, run!

It was just a matter of time

I've been running at a pretty frantic pace lately. Granted, I've been doing some things (yoga, healthy eating, blah, blah, blah) to help manage the stress.

Nevertheless, today was inevitable.

I got a rude email. It sent me into an irrational tailspin.

I took a break and made a phone call and felt okay about being at work.

Then, it started all over again and now I'm all in a tizzy.

I hate days like this - days when it seems like I'm doing things just to do them and not acting at all in an intentional way. - days when nothing goes according to the plan. -days when all I really want to do is curl up in my pajamas and catatonically watch television.

Enough about me. How are you?

Hi, There

Nothing to say, really.

I've been back to work for less than three weeks and, already, I'm swamped.

I'm so swamped that I have an entire week of television just hanging out on my DVR waiting to be watched.

I'm hoping I can catch up on Sunday.

Take care!

Big Plans

My big plan for today was to do all my reading for Wednesday's class.
Um, yeah. I haven't even started that.

But, I did get a RAK ready to send, pack up some clothes to mail back for an exchange, make chili, and do some scrapping.

I guess I got myself in the right mind-set to return to work tomorrow.

Here's my work with Scrap-tastic's September kit.

This one used Pencil Lines sketch # 95.



This one is totally inspired by an April Foster lay-out.





Photo credits to Steph on this one.





The last one is an Ali Edwards lift. Totally love the pictures.

PSA

I'm reading I am the Messenger by Markus Zusak.

You absolutely have to read it. It is so good that I almost fell off the elliptical in a sobbing heap this afternoon.

The book opens with four friends face-down on the floor of a bank in the middle of a robbery. When the hapless robber drops the gun on the way out of the bank and can't get the get-away car started, twenty-year-old cab-driver, Ed, grabs the gun, fires a few warning shots, and keeps the robber from getting away.

It's the only thing heroic or even important that Ed has done.

And someone noticed.

Ed gets a mysterious envelope in the mail. Inside it is nothing but a single playing card with three addresses and three times written on it.

Ed discovers a mission - a calling - at each of the addresses.

Seriously. I think I've told each person that crossed my path at work today about this book, and that was before I found out what Ed did about what he found at the first address.

It just keeps getting better and better.

Photo Catch-Up / Preview

September 1:
A day set aside for being prepared. Lots and lots of laundry and grocery shopping and house cleaning and preparing to go back to work. I even set out my outfit to be extra-ready for Tuesday morning.



September 2:
Back-to-school. Oddly enough, we didn't have a full-length mirror anywhere in our house until today, and it's not hung up. So, Brad had to hold the mirror up while I took a picture of my first day of school outfit.



September 3:
The day I've been dreading. The day where I drive four hours round trip to spend two hours and 45 minutes in class (besides working a full day). But, I did treat myself to a fun Badger sweatshirt (besides the $124.30 required text).



September 4:
I'm looking for a pace today. Class. Eating healthy. Commuting. Showering and looking professional every day. Keeping the house clean. It's lots and lots. I need to learn to pace myself because by 8:00 p.m. all I want to do is just what Memphis is doing. . . cuddle up on the couch.



September 5:
My Studio Calico kit is scheduled to arrive.

September 6:
Another trip to the Farmers' Market with Stephanie.

September 7:
I'm scheduled to sleep in. . . just Memphis and I all cuddled up.

More this weekend. I have some scrappy goodies to share.

New Years Resolutions

September is one of the reasons I'm lucky to be an educator.

It doesn't just mean back-to-school clothes, boxes of brand new crayons, and freshly waxed hallways.

September means a fresh start.

Adults come back to school with the same kind of excitement and anticipation and new attitude that the kiddos do.

September is a time when we feel like anything is possible.

Here is what I hope to accomplish this year:

a manageable and balanced schedule
reasonable reactions to the inevitable drama
focus on developing relationships (with kids and adults)
cultivating real and lasting change
enjoying myself and loving what I do