Jason's Baptism

Jason's Baptism was today...we had a long drive and had to get up early but so worth it to see his smiles! Mark was the godfather and we got to have a quick visit with his family. I wish we could have stayed longer but Zac had an early baseball game (which looking back now, we probably could have missed!)...but when you are part of a team you can't let them down!

We went to mass and then the baptism was afterward, so it was LONG...but he was so cute in his little white suit and Mark held him afterwards and he was falling asleep.

He was such a good baby and I got to feed him after we got back to their house. What a cute baby BOY! It was good to visit with everyone but we had to head home and a lot of driving today (about 5 hours in the car, add that to yesterday when we had to drive to the south-side and DJ...that's a long weekend!)

I did enjoy watching Zac's game even though it was another loss. I love watching these boys play baseball because after so many years I know most of them and it's just FUN! Last game they won against Parker's team so they have ONE WIN! This photo was taken tonight as Zac's team-mate came into home and scored and Zac was up to bat and he congratulated him for making a RUN!

These boys are fun to watch and they look GREAT in their uniforms!...so it doesn't matter to me if they win or lose, of course it's more fun when they win...but It's the love of the game that matters and having FUN!...so I hope Zac always remembers that and it's not always about WINNING!...but how you play the game and your attitude! -GO Longhorns!

When You're Gone...

I miss you when you're gone. Please don't stay away from me too long, k? Come home to me saftely. That's why I have to play this Avril Lavigne song "When You're Gone"...but I hope it won't be too long til I see you're face again -XOXO Love, Me

Indiana & Warren Dunes Camping

We had a wonderful time camping with our friends at Indiana Dunes and taking a short trip up to Warren Dunes! This is a family photo taken at Warren Dunes. My favorite things about the trip was spending time with Family & Friends and seeing the look on my children's faces as they play in the sand and beaches! We will definitely go again!

Happy 10th Birthday Rachel

My daughter is now in the double digits...the big 10! I can't believe it! I love ya girl and I hope you had fun at your Hawaiian Birthday Pool Party Sleepover! -Mom XO

Back to School

Well it's that time again... I love it and hate it at the same time! All those school supplies and having to go back and get more on the first day of school if you don't get everything you need! I know the kids are ready to get back on schedule but don't want to have to be alert and quiet all day long to learn...but it is necessary.

We tell our kids that it is their MAIN JOB to go to school and learn to the best of their ability. I love it because they aren't here all day driving me nuts, but I miss them while they are gone at the same time. This does allow me to get some things done without hearing MOM 50million times a day, but I guess I miss it when it's gone. They come home soon enough to start buggin me again, but I wouldn't change it for the world! When the kids go back to school I try to get a photo of them on their first day, with those new shoes and backpacks-and it is so interesting the changes that happen through the year. Dreading all those papers that come home to look over I always like to praise them when they get good grades then tell them they must try harder when they fail or the grade is not up to our standards.

As we teach our kids to keep trying, I think of my own strengths and weeknesses and that I must also KEEP TRYING...to be a better mom and to get more accomplished during the day, however I feel myself fall short most of the time. As a mother, wife, friend, teacher ...etc., there are so many things pulling me in different ways...so I strive to stay organized and keep the important things that I want to remember! Sure I love scrapping those school photos and report cards, but I also want to remember how I feel. Hence my BLOG. it is so much fun to look back on things even though I don't write everyday-I love to go back and see how I felt just a month ago and as you keep doing it when you have time-maybe go back to YEARS!

I have also started journaling when I go on trips. this is a great way to remember all the days and where you went and what you did. I often forget and the days start running into each other and I forget from day to day what we enjoyed. By journaling every day and listing what you did, you can easily go back and Scrapbook your trip with ease. I use my laptop and a WORD document to keep track of all the days!

Scrapbooking is also a way to archive your feelings and for your kids to look back and see what they've accomplished. I am hoping they appreciate it someday more than they do currently. Nobody ever did it for me as a child, and it would have been nice! Scrapbooking is a way to BLOG with visual aspects and all the fun embelishments used to make your feelings important -SO DON'T Forget to journal on your scrapbook pages. Someone in the future might not get it, unless there is a story behind it!

You can start your own BLOG on Yahoo, or http://www.blogger.com/. If you would like to read mine from time to time, it is located at: http://traceyscreativecorner.blogspot.com/

Kids at the Lake

My kids are too cute here when I asked them to pose for me after the parade. We hung out at the lake and they swam and played in the sand. Thanks kids for being WAY too cute in this photo :)

I love ya! -mom

Happy 4th of July

Here we are on the 4th of July taking a boat ride and going up to Cicero for fireworks. It was supposed to rain all day but didn't at all! We had a great afternoon riding and swimming in the lake. When I got off the boat I still felt like I was on the water after being on the waves all day -I was still rocking back and forth!

Rachel's Championship Game

Rachel’s team played in the Championship game last night and were Runner’s Up. They led the whole game and then we were 10-13 (the tigers were up) we had last bat and we made a couple runs making it 12-13 and then we had two outs and one of our batters was up and made a good hit-bases were loaded and they CAUGHT IT! Rachel was still happy to get a trophy, and happy that Grandma Betty came to see her play! So now we are done with baseball and softball and can take a breather!

Monkeys are Runner's Up!

In this photo (taken at the Monkey semi-final game that we won) the girls wanted to throw the cooler ice on their coaches but they were too tall. I had to help them a bit!

Nationals finally Win 2 in a row in Playoffs!

Nationals finally Won after a 0-16 record and loss to put them into the losers bracket. But Wednesday they beat the pants off the Yankees then again on Thursday they won against the Tigers! This is just our Youth Baseball Team, but after those kind of losses to hear people at the field congratulate us, it was FUN and very energizing! Sadly, they ended their two in a row winning streak against the Athletics Friday (Tonight) :(

But we were FIRED Up! Maybe it just took them longer to get their groove on. But it sure was fun while it lasted! Here is Zac getting a run in before they beat the Yankees Wednesday night. I just love watching my son play baseball WIN or LOSE!- love ya Buddy! I am so proud of you XOXO

Having Fun...

Here we are at the Vest Reception having fun with the Hawaiian Theme. They were married in Maui last month and we watched their slideshow and had some great food! We went via boat on Morse Reservour with the Day's to and from the Reception. It was a lot of Fun! The kids had fun as I jumped on the dance floor with them later :)

Jason Grant Born!

Our new baby nephew: Jason Grant

Born to Mike & Suzanne Bish
06-09-07 @ 4:01PM

Good Samaritan Hospital

07 lbs 7 oz.; 20.25 in.

Isn't he the sweetest?

Made it to the Southernmost Point of US!

Well after a lot of driving, we made it to the Southernmost point in the Continental USA! Geographically it is the southernmost point of the United States. Key West is AWSOME and known for the famous Duvall Street with shops, vendors selling souvenirs and conch shells. Believe it or not, standing here you are closer to Cuba than Miami; from here, it is 150 miles north to Miami and only 90 miles south to Cuba. We stayed at the WESTIN hotel & marina thanks to my friend Connie! We hung out at famous places like the Hog's Breath Saloon and Sloppy Joe's and watched the breathtaking sun set! -Before coming back up the Keys we had to stop and put our feet into Anne's Park Beach to just say that we put our feet in the water while we were in Florida!

Yeah, I am a Harley Girl...

Linda, Thanks ;) for coming and having your Harley Dude come and give me a ride! It was a lot of fun! Thanks Jim :)

My mother happened to be here at the time getting the scoop on our Hawaii Vacation and looking at photographs and you stop by with your leather jacket telling me I gotta ride! Well, my mother always told me not to get on motorcycles-they are dangerous! So me being the rebel that I am... I went on a ride! Here I am on a Harley and I have decked my MYSPACE out in Harley duds! Check it out!

Aloha!

We are back from Hawaii and it was a wonderful, educational and relaxing vacation! Here is the family at Niwiliwili Bay ready to go to Duke's Restaurant on the beach and then off to a luau show! We explored lots of places on Kauai and had a great time with Grammy & Papa. It was hard to leave them and such a lovely place. Maybe we will go back again sometime! You wouldn't have to twist my arm ;) Mahalo~Grammy & Papa!

I'm So Excited... And I Just Can't Hide It

I am pretty excited! My first trip to Kawai, Hawaii! Even though I have been to many places in Mexico including Cabo San Lucas (which is gorgeous), Puerto Vallarta, Cancun, and many places in Florida, Bahamas, and Caribbean...well-those are just a few of my favorites... I know Hawaii will be a whole different culture to experience and the kids will learn so much. Their grandparents are very excited to show them everything! They have been whale watching and I can't wait to see that, experience a luau, a waterfall, snorkeling and hand feeding the fish.

My son wants to learn to Surf....well, let's just say that makes MOTHER a bit nervous...but I am up for it if he is brave and really wants to try it. Rachel says her class will be watching the weather in Hawaii while she gone, and brought home a note about a Luau Picnic they will be having during lunch one day. She thinks it is a celebration of her being in Hawaii...and that is fun for her to think that!

The plane ride will be long, Rachel will have to practice those 7/8 multiplication flash cards. She will be with her Dad who loves Math so he will have to get her into the concept of DIVISION. He is great about that as he was working with my son tonight on how to measure circumferences and how to figure things. I am pretty much clueless on that stuff so I am glad he can help with 6th grade math!!! We will work on some Math Workbooks that Rachel got for Christmas too, and she will be reading books on the plane! I am excited for them to experience travel, even though the plane rides will be long. It sure is an experience and I want them to remember it all so they will have to write it in their journals that I made for them. We will print some photos and put them in the journal after we get back so I will be excited for her to be able to share it with her class...I am sure she will be too!

So we are off to Hawaii... I will be offline most of the time enjoying myself -ALOHA!

Scrapbook Corner Blog

Scrapbook Corner has a new Blog. Questions or comments about their blog? email martha@scrapbookcorner.us with blog in the subject and they'll repond! This is the store that I work in and have been part of the Design Team since 2004! I am so excited to be designing again and can't wait for the challenges ahead. Happy Scrappin'

Snow & Fog Days!?

Well not another day of the kids home...yes!!! Because of FOG. It was so foggy today and after a two hour delay, they closed the schools here. Last week they had three days off because of snow, we had a SNOW EMERGECY. I have taken some great photos, however of the kids having a blast in the snow. They haven't wanted to go outside because it's been so cold, but they love to be out in the snow! Here is Rachel after taking the sled down the driveway, she landed and I saw a photo op-so I said "HEY STAY THERE!"...this girl sure can pose!
Last week the kids made a snow fort and it was so cold out,

but I had to venture out and take some photos with my new lense. I just couldn't resist! As I fell through mounds of drifted snow, the kids were building and forming a snow fort and climbing in and out of it! I tried to brace myself...and here are a few photos tha I snapped in the process. I love my lense, it is a good change from getting so up close to my subjects. I like to do that, but not all the time. I like to catch them in action! Here I called out to Madison and Rachel to look over as they were

ready to climb through the tunnel.

Here is a photo of Zac digging through the tunnel

into the middle of it. His face shows how cold he is while he is persistant in getting the tunnel dug out! Snow days are quite interesting as the kids drive you nuts inside the house...I must remember how pleasent looking back on this day is and the special moments life does gives to us!

We Are The Champions!

Well, I believed in BLUE even after that first play of the Bears running that darn ball all the way to a touchdown!

I said..."Shoot...it can't go like this!" Mike, my friend and party host, reasured me that this has happened before in games and not to worry, it was still early. I wasn't worried after that and I believed in the BLUE to take it home...win it all and be CHAMPIONS!!! And they have become what I knew they were all along... Here I am sharing the night with my hubby and sweet daughter and Mike's dog Lacy, the foot warmer!

Colts are #1

COLTS GONNA WIN THE SUPERBOWL! Mean People SUCK! I had all the Colts Songs on my profile through PROJECT PLAYLIST on myspace and someone has messed with me on there deleting them so they won't work now! Mean People Suck...it must be a Bears Fan...Oh you goin' DOWN now! Or it could be someone messing with my Virtual Files on Virtual Space...well had to go back to the regular boring player and added Mudkids GO BLUE! So now what you got for me???? I'll kick some bootie...GO BLUE! Good thing I have all the songs on a CD and I will be BLARING it so *(*- You, whoever you are! COLTS GONNA WIN THE SUPERBOWL!