Massive snow storm

Here is Lainey standing next to the snow pile by the sidewalk, this was after ONE big snow storm on Dec 11th. I was thankful I didn't have to work that weekend, we got around 18" all day sat and it ended sunday. Santa at school was cancelled and so were most church services. The only thing we went out for on sat was to see mom and dad as santa at russells and the grocery store. I got tons of baking done, there wasn't much else to do.

This nasty storm was followed by some DAMN cold weather sunday till wed!!!!!

Today is Thurs Dec 16 and we woke up at 530 am to Lainey puking, so I'm home with her today and she also has diarrhea, she's now sleeping and hopefully will feel like eating something when she wakes up.
Tomorrow we leave for christmas in Merrill so hopefully the 2 of us don't catch it from her and she's better by then. Breakfast with santa was rescheduled for this sunday so we hope to come home sat night to go to that. Mert says she will watch Ruby, she loves doing that now. In the snow storm her outside furnace vent plugged up and she didn't have any heat so Daryn had to go clean it out and it worked right away!
I'm still not done Christmas shopping and thats really weird for me. This year we're doing Betty's on Christmas Eve after church so that will get pretty late but thats ok I guess. Kyle and Tori will both be home so it will be great. They are currently remodeling their house and adding on and getting things more accessible for Don, so we don't know what the house will look like then, they have kinda just started. Daryn will be helping with the heat vents and some flooring.
Well better see how Lainey is.

Chris turns 40!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So its been a long time but its been busy around here. Almost ready for Christmas except for some presents and I guess we're going to need those. Just waiting for some cash to be able to do that. I made this card from one thats in the current Stampin Up book only changed the colors basically. I gave this to Chris for turning 40 this week, can't even believe it and now we'll have cousins turning 40 every year for awhile now. Her party was at Apple Valley so mom, Lainey and I went down for supper, Daryn had to work doing inventory.
Daryn shot 2 does on the very last day of the season, one was very small but we were so glad to finally have some venison. I bought a food vaccuum sealer to freeze the venison and man that thing is the cat's ass!!!! should have bought one sooner can be used to freeze anything.
Tonight we're going to the hospital christmas tree lighting and you can buy angels to put on the tree in memory or honor of someone and I put Daryn's name on but he won't find out until they read it tonight. Its killing Lainey that she doesn't know where we're going, she keeps guessing but I know better than to tell her anything! I already know what I'm getting for christmas from Daryn cause of her big mouth!!
I think I had the flu this past week, very achy and can't get off the couch, never puked so that was good. Then Max brought it home from his daycare and they ALL got it even with the puking, felt so bad for them but we stayed away.
We have been lucky so far that no one else in this house has had anything, I didn't get Lainey her flu shot this year but we've both had ours.
Thanksgiving was at mom's this year and Karen never called but has told us she worked that day and didn't feel like cooking. which was fine we had a great time at mom's and Don and Betty also came. I worked that day and then headed there for supper.

My little turkey!

well actually I guess she's an indian, thanks to art class at school. We got her first ever report card cause 4k doesn't really count especially the terrible year we all had. So anyway her report card was awesome, top score was for coloring(a 4 which is never given) and a couple weeks ago she won the coloring contest at school for the second year in a row. I guess its a pretty big deal and she gets a nice prize.

So its been awhile since I've been on here, I was busy getting avon ready for the annual craft show at the legion. I never plan on selling much just getting my name out and I sold more than last year and gave lots of books away, so far 2 people have called so I guess it worked.

Daryn's still been busy hunting and with no luck. Its gotten colder now and we saw the first snow on sunday, so now he has a good cold from being out in it so much.

Sunday was a nice lazy day at home, we never left the house except for Daryn to hunt a little in the morning. Packers even had the day off but the bears and vikings played and the bears kicked butt!!! So I think the bears and packers are tied for first right now.

Please retire Brett, when I see you come on the field its like oh no not him again, sickening.

I finally made a card yesterday, I took off since Lainey was off and Daryn took off to go hunting. The temp was in the 60's so we even got some christmas lights hung up.

This card was embossed with a folder then rubbed over with white pigment ink, then sprayed with shimmer mist mixed with alcohol. Its hard to see the sparkle but it makes the snowflakes very pretty. I don't make my own christmas cards and probably never will but I do use a few for gifts and things.

Daryn's been doing ALOT of hunting with no luck so he's off thursday and friday again. This past weekend I actually went to sparta with my sister to a craft show and that was lots of fun except for the old guy stalking me. Mom watched all the kids and was to tired to go out with us for supper at Apple Valley, first time we've been there since May. Chris was home for Diane's bday party, we were home by 7:30, I kinda missed their good food.

Sunday was church for me and Lainey, then we stopped to see grandma busy making her crafts for this sat craft show we're doing at the legion. Then we came home and just hung out and tried to fix christmas lights, lots of ours are half burnt out this year. We're throwing alot away and getting rid of the fake tree we never use!!!!

Rockin Mom

I have a rockin mom and I love my mom! Gosh was this the perfect thing to get when I got home from work sunday. Another 4 year old died at work and this one from asthma. I have never heard anyone scream as bad as his grandma did.

So Lainey and Daryn were home all day and knew I had a bad day so she gave me this when I got home even in an envelope. I don't even know where she found a guitar sticker but how neat!!! This is probably my most favorite project from her and will be kept a long time!

Then we went trick or treating and we started at Mel and Jason's, as we're getting out of the car her tooth came out. #2 so she was a bloody fairy for awhile but very excited that now the tooth fairy was also coming.
It was a fun night and even decent weather this year, her pumpkin was almost full and thats just from friends and family. Uncle Dallas even called and wanted us to stop at his apartment for the first time ever.
That night when we went to bed Lainey asked me if I had really cried at work and we talked about it and as she's rubbing me on the arm she said "I promise that will never happen to me and Ruby", I have the sweetest child EVER!!!!!

3 days off

Today is Thursday and we're off, no school, no work!!! Yesterday was my normal Wednesday off since I have to work this coming weekend(halloween) YUCK!!! Lainey came home sick yesterday and missed her party at school, so good thing I was off anyway. She complained of a belly ache but acted fine most of the day. Today she has also been fine but did complain this morning that her ear hurt. I'm just hoping that if anything gets worse it waits until tomorrow since we're going to be in the clinic for her eye checkup anyway.

Tonight we're carving a pumpkin, I should say Daryn and Lainey, then watching the Shrek Halloween special on tv. I must have the most boring life ever since I'm actually looking forward to all that. My pumpkins were all rotten so I had to go buy a new one. I think it was all the warm weather we had this fall cause I've never had that problem before.

So this is a card I made the other night, did some sanding on coredination paper, very simple and made 2 pink and 2 blue. I saw them someplace on Split coast so they have been in my favorites for a long time, each card has a different saying on them.

So here's actually a card for once. I had a bridal shower for a commitment ceremony in Las Vegas a couple weekends ago. I tried to make this look like the leaves were falling down.

Right now outside there are no more leaves left and we have a wind advisor for tonight, pretty strange. Today is Tuesday and I'm off until Sat and Sunday. Lainey doesn't have school Thurs and Friday, tomorrow is her Halloween party at school and they can't wear their costumes they can only wear black and orange. Tomorrow morning I'm going to Abby's program at St John's school where she is attending this year. Next year she'll most likely be at public school, Lisa didn't really trust the teachers there with her diet this year.

Last night I was in bed with Lainey and she says "you know who i love the most?", no who? "God" so I was very happy she said that and asked why, she said cause He made everything and he made us! Thank you power hour!! So tonight we pray before supper and she doesn't even remember the prayer, better get working on that. Thank you God for blessing us.

weekend getaway

This weekend we decided to go to Eau Claire and Chippewa Falls and spend the night w/o Lainey. She spent the night with grandma which is always more exciting as far as she's concerned. Grandma picked her up around 11 and we also headed out, ate lunch at Texas Roadhouse then shopped at Kohl's thanks to Lisa's 30 percent off coupon!!!
Then headed to Ann and Monty's house by 2:30 for the badger game, they beat Iowa, it was an awesome game.
Afterwards they drove us to a few of their favorite hangouts and at the first place we all did the shake a day and I won $75 AWESOME!!!! So that paid for our little trip. We had homemade pizza at a bar called Moke's in Hallie, stayed overnight at Ann's and headed back home early in the morning.
Today we had breakfast at the legion where Lainey was helping grandpa sell tickets. Daryn went hunting on our land for a LONG time today and saw a few deer but none that he could shoot. Sure getting hungry for venison!!!
So right now is half time of the packer/viking game and we are losing, CROSS YOUR FINGERS!!!

MEET MAX!

Maxwell Oscar Koepp born 8/31/10 weighing only 11 pounds and 4 oz!!!! This picture is from the hospital, he's a cutie! We got to babysit Max and Abby last night while Jason and Lisa went to the bud bike drawing in Marshfield. He is the best baby ever and I'm not just saying that cause he's my nephew, I mean he's an easy baby, never fusses just eats and sleeps. Although last night is the first time I heard him babble and I have already seen smiles and he's only one month old.

Yesterday Daryn's port was removed, it went well and he was only there for an hour. The guy said you really got attached to that thing and had a little hard time getting it out. We got to keep it and show Lainey what that bump has been in his shoulder. Daryn's been sore but did work yesterday.

Today(sat) we are heading out of town!!!!!!!!!!!!! going to eau claire for our anniversary and doing whatever we want and possibly staying overnight(lainey is going to mom's). Got some shopping and eating to do then meeting up with Ann and Monty.

Happy Anniversary!

HAPPY 9TH ANNIVERSARY DARYN!!! One year ago today we found out you had cancer! Thus began six months of chemo and tomorrow on 10/21/10 you will finally have the port removed from your shoulder. Now checkups are every 3 months for at least all of next year.
Hopefully this has been the worst year we'll have to go thru and the rest will be a breeze. Thanks for the best 9 years of my life so far!!!!

my dad's ass!!!

Today work sucked ASS, therefore this picture of my dad's ass Rudy is very fitting!!! This was Lainey's first time meeting him, he's actually pretty nice and loves to be petted.
So its monday and of course I ran my ass off at work (i really wish that happened) and then tonight the kirby vaccuum guy is coming to do a demonstration, yipeeeee!!! I should have just told him we're broke and he's wasting his time but my couch could really use a free cleaning!

Today we had one of the worst possible cases in the ER, a 3 year old died after his mom accidently ran him over. My desk is really close to the room that we call the cry room and I could just hear exactly when the doctors told the family, makes your hair stand up on your arms.
So better finish here so I can make some supper before the kirby guy gets here.

Sunday 10/17

Here's the card I made for Max's baptism which was 2 weekends ago already. His sponsors are Dallas, Jim and Bern from Jump River. I found a nice saying online that I used for the inside and printed on my computer. Baptism was at his house afterward and we were able to eat outside, it was chilly but nice, of course the guys stayed inside to watch the packer game. Later on we rode out to our land and dad marked some tree's he will tap in the spring, he started on one side of the driveway and already has 30 tree's so he didn't even start the other side. It was so peaceful out there we sat around for awhile then headed to Donnas to meet mom and have a pizza.

ANOTHER wonderful sunday.

Today is also sunday 10/17 and Lainey and I (daryn worked AGAIN) went to church at St John's to watch Abby sing. She's going to 4K at the church this year since Lisa wasn't thrilled about the teachers at the public school. Now we are headed to Garrett's 6th bday party at his house then on to grandpa Don's house to see Kyle and Juliann, Dana and the girls. ANOTHER great and busy sunday.

Yesterday was busy also we had Shannon's wedding shower at aunt Beth's house at noon until 430 then came home for the night. Daryn worked all day at Buck's new house thank god he is almost done there. Before the shower Lainey and I went to the land and planted some pompas grass that I dug up from my grandpas old house before dad actually sells it soon.

This past week Daryn had a 3 month checkup and things are great, he's off coumadin and will have surgery next thurs to have his port removed, next year he will also go every 3 months.

10/10/10

So this picture was from 10/10/10 what a neat date. There was actually someone that got married on sunday in Neillsville just for the date. The ceremony was at the highground(also very pretty this time of year) and reception at the old dome. We raked the leaves into a pile and lainey and ruby had some fun. I took lots of pictures and Daryn rested inside, he was sore from tracking the 8 pointer that he shot with his bow and never found. He tracked it with my dad for 5 hours and followed blood but no luck, I felt so bad. He did get his arrow back cause it went right thru the deer, he sure doesn't have much luck with anything!!!



So we also took a hayride on sunday with some friends (Kuhn's, Mohr's, Thoma's and Horn's) Dan drove his dad's tractor and Jerome came along. My dad fixed up a chopper box wagon into a really nice hayride wagon and it was gorgeous in the 80's. We started at Donna's then headed to Speak Easy and back to Donna's for the end of the horrible packer game. There we had a nice pot luck lunch and came back home. I sure love Sundays!!!!!!

Bookmark card

So this card is using some of the new Stampin Up colors but I do not have a new catalog to be able to tell you which colors. It was fun using a variety of colors and then punching the dots out so it was a breeze. The inside was a little more challenging and that is where the book marker is located here, sorry the pictures are so dark, I really need a new camera.

This card should work for some challenges I found including 5 of something on a card at Mark's Finest Papers, and a challenge at Crazy 4 Challenges for anything to do with books and another bookmark challenge at Lets Ink It Up.

So Lainey took a nap today for the first time in probably a year!!! So I had some free time today to make a card. I wanted to try the cracked glass technique that I did a long time ago and I could use some advice how to NOT make such a mess. This pretty hydrangea that is purple and not burgundy(sorry I can't edit my photos anymore) was colored using watercolor crayons that I borrowed and figured I better get some use before I return them. The lace is new from Stampin Up and also that vintage brad. The DSP is Cottage Wall I believe, the image was distressed with distress ink. Well she's already up from her nap so guess I better get going.

Lainey's Bday Invites

Ok so Lainey is almost 6 already and going into Kindegarten!!! She wants to go camping for her birthday and we decided to have her party right in the campground. This was basically my first time using the set Happy Camper from Stampin Up. I first inked the whole stamp in Pretty in Pink ink then colored the rest with markers. Making the choc chip mat took ALOT of practice with the new punches from Stampin Up, I even watched a tutorial thank god!! Not sure if you can see the rhinestones that are on the tires and window, I can't make my pictures look better since my software has issues. After I got all done I actually found this sketch challenge at Card Patterns that it kinda looks like!

Now we can't wait for the party!!!

Check out this free give away and challenge at Wee Memories!

Thank you card for baby Koepp

Here's another Thank you card for my very pregnant sister. I really hope tomorrow we get a call cause she's so miserable right now. I could not get a good picture of this card, the white ink was reflecting, it was weird, so it really does look much better in person. I sort of cased this card from here, just changed colors and the flower which was from the new Because I Care hostess set from Stampin Up. I embossed the purple paper with the folder called Stylized flowers, then swiped pigment white ink across it. I used watercolors(thank you Karen) on the hydrangea and attempted to cut it out, will never do that again, I don't like cutting things out and I'm amazed I didn't accidentally cut off the stem.

baby thank you's

I'm back!!! My computer was down for awhile in the shop, only had 9 viruses! YIKES. I just made 4 of these cards yesterday and they are for my VERY pregnant sister when she has her baby in another month. She just found out on friday the baby is big, long and breech so she'll need another c-sec, not the news she wanted to hear. So she does not know what she is having and I know these are pink but they are just thank you cards for her to send out after she has the baby.

I cased this card from here and changed a few things. I used a stamp set called Stem Silhouettes from Stampin Up and pretty in pink, rich razelberry, choc chip, vanilla, and white paper inside to write on. I've never made a card with so much paper but I thought it was definately worth it and soooo pretty. I got lucky and had some pink ribbon to match that is not Stampin UP, one has pearls and one has sparkly beads. Hope she likes them, but I do have to get busy and make her some more!!!

Island Oasis doily

My first time using my new Island Oasis DSP from Stampin up. I don't usually like such bright bold colors but I really like this card and most of the paper in the pack. The card is Old Olive, there is also some Pumpkin Pie paper behind the doily. The white doily was colored with Tempting Turquise, the tissue paper flower was cut using the Cuttlebug flower die(thanks Karen) then colored with Pumpkin Pie ink. The ribbon is Stampin Up chocolate chip and then a Stampin Up rub on. I'm going to try these challenges: Wee Memories(stickers/rubons), Crazy4 Challenges(paper flowers), Alyssunday(flowers), ABC Challenge blog(xtra dimension), and Pile it On(stickers)

The wedding dress

This Saturday my husband and daughter are in my sister in laws wedding. I made this card following a template but cannot remember where I got it. Its the size of a normal card so its actually pretty easy to draw free hand and then just cut out, the bottom of the dress is the whole width of the card. You have to make sure you leave the sleeves wide enough so the 2 pieces are attached with the fold at the top, then I just added a ribbon that matches the color of the bridesmaid dresses. This will almost look like my daughters dress since she is the miniature bride. I'm going to use this for the wedding challenge's at S2G, and Secret Crafter and the embossing challenge's Cardvaark's, and Speedy's Cat. I also think it works for the pretty as a princess challenge at Paper Sundaes. I used a Sizzix texture plate called Tween Vines, Stampin up scallop trim border punch, some misc ribbon and pearls, very easy and pretty!!!

Father's Day Card

I found a few challenges for fathers day cards so we'll try this one. I used kraft paper from stampin up, watercolor paper and coredinations paper embossed with Cuttlebug folder called Distressed Stripes. The only stamp I used was from Close to my Heart(Hunting) the ink was black stazon then colored in with blender pens and ink pads, distressed the edges added some twine and waalla!!not sure how to spell that!!!



Here's a couple fathers day, man challenges if your interested: My Time To Craft, Cupcake Craft Challenges, CCEE Stampers and Totally Stampalicious

4th of July card

Lainey wanted to help me make a card and there isn't much she can help me do except tape things and take the pictures. I showed her how the embossing powder heats up and she thought that was pretty cool. Speedy the cat's challenge was to make your own background paper so we used a misc flag stamp and colored that in with stampin up markers. Then we used gold EP on the chipboard star and fireworks, we tried to follow the sketch for the Stamping 411 challenge also. We also distressed the flag with walnut distress ink.

Inchies??

I learned that one inch squares are called inchies I guess. maybe 2" inch ones are called twosies?? So I'm going to try this in the hand full of stamps challenge for any kind or project. I used Cottage Wall DSP, Vellum, white and kraft paper. Choc Chip courderoy buttons, twine, Martha Stewart butterly punch, pearls, flower fusion felt flower from stampin up.

etsy inspired

My card for this challenge here at Etsy Inspired Challenge

These very pretty buttons were the inspiration at How Beadyful

Paper: Old Olive, Pink Passion, misc cream paper. Stamps Inspired by Nature, Embosslits Beautiful Wings, doily, walnut distress ink, distressing tool, pearls

Cased card

this is a card i cased from here
I liked how simple it was and I wish the picture was better, I used stampin up kraft paper, bravo burgundy ink and white EP with versamark and a stamp from Inkadinkado called Doodle Flower

castastic

We have a 40 anniversary coming up next weekend, combined with a 40th bday and house warming so I guess I better get going on the cards.

I used: sandylion DSP, choc chip and misc red paper, choc chip ribbon, garnet EP from stampendous, versamark pen, misc buttons, scallop punch, walnut distress ink, stamp from All Year Cheer III

I put this in my very first challenge here at Mark's Finest Papers and the second challenge at CAS-tastic for the button challenge

Cleaning, Cleaning and more cleaning. Oh well at least Lainey is helping me!:)

Hey there, testing testing!!! I have no idea what I'm doing yet.