I know the last few posts have all been related to my scrapbooking but it has really been reminding me a lot lately!

Today as I put the pages I’ve worked on in the right album where they belong, and then sat and looked through to take the ‘whole’ album in. I was totally struck by how thankful I am…. to you! Our family and friends. You are the people, who love us, support us, and encourage us. You are the people who help us make lasting memories that we will carry for a lifetime. You are the ones who forever will hold a place in our hearts for “that time…” and that means so much.

Phil and I are so completely blessed, we have parents who love us unconditionally, and support us so much! We have friends who stick with us through the good and tough times, and who help make the boring times more fun!

So this post is to just say THANK-YOU to all of you who help make our life what it is …. which is Wonderful!!

I’ve been struck lately that in life we can get in the rut of things, in the mundane day to day activities and sometimes we miss out on what is really happening. We’ve been talking a lot lately that we’ve been in that spot for a while. We are neither here nor there on a lot of things, neither excited or disappointed, rather just ‘okay’ with what is happening around us.

We’ve been struggling with our ‘fitting’ into a lot of area’s right now, and finding out way to where ‘we’ belong together, not just me, not just Phil. It’s been an interesting learning process and we are finding out way. I’ve learned that the grass is only greener on the other side until you get there, that you can wait for things to come but then you give up enjoying the things that are happening now.

Starting scrapbooking has been good for me. As I look back on pictures we took, on adventures we had I am struck by what we have done, and the memories we have made, the fun we have had, the places we do fit! But in the moment of today I’ll often say “we don’t do anything” but we do! I’ve enjoyed working back finishing up our 1st year, and working on our 2008 album and re-discovering our time together. It has been fun to talk with Phil about ‘that picture’ or ‘that time’ and smile remember the day!

Sometimes, I have my days where I think that scrapbooking is too time consuming and I should just do photo albums, but ultimately I’ve realized for me, scrapbooking is more than just a pretty book, with pretty pages, it is a place where I keep memories Phil and I have made together at a certain point in our life! I’m so grateful to have them, to be able to look back and remember.

After I get caught up on these 2 albums – my next goal is to do an album (probably 2) from when we 1st met to now! I’m a little behind on that one… considering it will be 5 years in September since I first laid eyes on Phil…. a wonderful 5 years I might add!

R-E-L-A-X!! That is what I’ll be doing for the rest of the day! For about the last 6 weeks it has felt that Phil and I are basically just sleeping here, we are in and out a ton, and it seems that I am only ever playing catch up on the clean up – cleaning up from last night just to get ready for tonight. So, yesterday and today – I scheduled myself NOTHING! And spent it all cleaning. Like serious cleaning, top to bottom. Even borrowed the good vacuum from mom and dad! I did all of our laundry – literally the only dirty clothes in our house are what we are wearing today. Dusted everything!! Vacuumed & moped! Cleaned out closets, threw out a ton of junk! The only room left is the office – which is coming a long, but there is still lots to go through before we are totally satisfied.

This afternoon, I went out and finally bought us a bedskirt, I had to order it in, as most places don’t carry anything King in stock. Hopefully it is here next week!

I have 2 more ‘house projects’ to do before I go back to work: paint a dresser brown, and sort through the shed. Before I go back to work (Feb 20th), I’d also like to finish our 1st year scrapbook! and Disney World – My albums finally arrived so now I have places for my pages which is good!!

The weather here has been much better lately – SUNNY!! It’s been quite warm and so bright which has been wonderful!! I am hoping that tomorrow it is nice, and since I’m done all my work that I can just go and play!

Phil is going to start playing soccer again, he’ll play for the next 6 weeks, practice is twice a week and games on Sundays. I’m happy that he’ll be getting out again, he always enjoys it so much.

I think that’s about all to update on for now… until next time!

For the last 2 weeks, we’ve been slowly working on completely doing an overhaul on Phil’s office. We had a fouton in there, and got rid of it – making it a much bigger space, and more room to set up for ‘work space’, which was necessary. Phil’s been going through old computers, boxes full of computer parts, and sorting out what to keep, and what to get rid of. It’s been great, but is of course like any cleaning/organizing lots of work.

Tonight we decided to make a big jump into things so that the rest of the week Phil has a better desk situation. We rearranged the desks and made his setup much better. He decided he didn’t need all the desks anymore (we’ve accumulated 6), he is only using 4 now – 2 for his main desk, one for his gaming desk, and one for the printer and scanner. So the 2 remaining desks are now mine, and I have a nice little corner for scrapbooking! YAY!!

What this means for me is, no more unpacking, setting up, and then putting everything away – everything is at fingers reach, and that is where it will stay. No more using the kitchen table and feeling guilty when working on it for a week or 2, now I can work on the same thing for weeks and it wont be in anyones way!

I was in Nanaimo today for lunch with Wanda, and decided to stop by Michaels and pick up a couple organizers, there is a set of 3 pieces which I’ve been eyeing for a long time, so today I invested in 2. The desk catty, and a desktop organizer. they are perfect. The other night I went out and bought spice containers, which now house all my buttons, brads, and eyelets. I went out to our shed, and pulled out a shelf that we were going to get rid of and hung it up on the wall, it now holds my stamp pads, ribbon, brads, eyelets, flowers, and my cricut cartridges.

It most definitely is time for bed, although I’d love to stay up and try my new work space – but there’s always time for that tomorrow!!

Here are a few pictures of my new craft corner!

I got home today from swimming and Phil says to me how much did you swim? I respond with a mile!! Phil: how many lengths? Me: 60! Phil: so not quite a mile. Me: yea?!? Phil: Actually a mile is 64 lengths so you haven’t swam a mile, but you swam 1.5km.

So we’ve yet to swim a mile – only 100 meters off though. I am still just as happy with 1.5 km.

I was out at Shoppers Drug Mart the other day and noticed a wonderful sale on – $0.10 pictures when you develop 50 or more (and that for me is not hard). So, I’ve spent a couple days organizing photos and figuring out what I’m scrapbooking etc. And today, I developed 246 pictures! Whoa! I sure have a lot of scrapbooking ahead of me. I am going to go back in a couple days as I need to find some other pictures, that have not been moved to my new iPhoto from the old computer, but then I’ll be all caught up on the developing end of things.

Behind in the album area.

I’ve been procrastinating scrapping for a while and am not sure why – but now feel pretty good about getting caught up (or at least only be about 1-2 months behind, which is manageable). I ordered 2 more albums today, so I’ll have our 1st year, and 2008. Once I’m caught up, I’ll get an album for 2009.

Tonight I headed out to find some containers to help me keep my scrapbooking stuff organized – and it was successful, I found some spice containers (the perfect size) and filled them with buttons, brads, flowers, etc. I put ribbon around them, to make them a little prettier, and well they are going to be just perfect.

One day my dream is to have a room fully dedicated to my crafts (scrapbooking mainly, sewing 2nd, and then all the other things I try – knitting, maybe painting again). But until then, I’ll make my little closet as organized as possible, and work with the table I have. But I like to dream of the day when I have a room that the sun shines into, that I get to sit at relax and work at…. one day!

Phil has been busy with work again, one of the guys working for the company has taken another position, so there are some tight deadlines for Phil this week. I am so very proud of him for his dedication, and amazing work he does, and for being just a 100% awesome husband to me!!!

Shannon and I have been swimming together since October – not as consistent in the beginning as we hoped. So now, we have buckled down! Today was a successful day – we swam a mile!! 60 lengths!
It can only get better – now knowing that we can do that… no slacking.

Yay! Today we got winter tires! Mom and Dad Moore bought us winters for Christmas! They would have really really been handy in December (Phil might disagree, cause he got in some awesome e-brake slides with the all-seasons), but now we are ready for anymore snow – and it seems that there is more snow on the way!

Tonight we are headed out with friends for Mikey’s 23rd birthday, which will be fun. I will be escaping off for a bit, as I have a ‘date’ with my sister!

Normal winter weather has returned to the valley – its raining, windy, and cold. Oh, how I enjoyed the snow.

Well, Phil is pacing so he’s ready to go….

This is going to be a picture post of our AWESOME PARTY last night!!