Global Youth Service Day 2009

I know I still need to post about our Cruise, but I wanted to post quick about something Emily is working on with some of her Alaska People to People Alums. She had such a great time on her trip to Alaska last year and made so many friends she is still keeping contact with it is something she will never forget. P2P is a sponsor of Global Youth Service Day April 24-26 2009. GYSD is an annual global event that highlights and celebrates the ongoing contributions of youth to their communities through volunteer service and service-learning. We have teamed up with two other families to collect donations for an organization called Operation Iraqi Children. This organization was founded by actor Gary Sinise and collects school supplies for US troops to distribute to school children in Iraq. Our kids were excited by the opportunity to help other school kids who need the same kind of supplies to succeed in school that they do. We are working to collect as many kits as we can and will send the kits off to People to People who will ship them to to Iraq for distribution by US Troops.
We are excited to spend time with some families we got to know so well, and help out this great organization at the same time.

Let us know if you'd like to help!

OIC SCHOOL SUPPLY KIT:
One pair of blunt-end scissors
One 12-inch ruler with metric markings
12 new pencils with erasers
One small pencil sharpener
One large eraser
One box of colored pencils (Crayons melt in the Iraqi summer heat!)
One package of notebook paper
One composition book
Three folders with inside pockets
One zippered pencil bag

Survivor Picnic

My mom invited us on a picnic today that she and Emily had been planning. Ryan, Cami, Bryce, Grace a friend of theirs Gunner, Emily and I were told to meet them at Desert Willow park at 12:30. All we needed to bring was our own drink and maybe something to play with in the park. Well they had some surprises up their sleeves, there were 9 different sized shaped and colored bags all tied shut with strings. We started by picking numbers out of a hat to see the order we would get to pick in. Bryce ended up with the first pick and Emily and Grandma knowing what was in the bags got to pick last. Once we all had our bags they asked us to untie the string from the bag and tie the ends together and place the string in a circle in front of us on the table. Then we unpacked the contents of our "lunch" into our circle string. Then the fun started, it was time to see what everyone got in their bags and see if we could trade things we had for something from someone else. My bag had a Phoenix Coyotes hat (nice except I was pretty hungry) a package of yellow Marshmallow Peeps, a matchbox car, some temporary tattoos, three string cheeses, some honeydew and a fork. Others had things like rolled up turkey, there were two chicken salad wraps, several yummy salads, salt and pepper shakers, skittles, a few pickles, a turkey sandwich, a PB&J, a whole box of thin mints, several bags of chips, lots of yummy strawberries, a banana, a bag of chocolate chips, some pita bread and a lottery ticket. Well the trading or in some cases stealing began, somehow Emily ended up with my peeps and Bryce with the full box of Thin Mints.

I ended up with a yummy Greek Chicken Salad, some pita bread, honeydew and a bag of Cheetos. Emily ended up with my peeps, the lottery ticket, a pasta salad, a banana and some pita bread. I think everyone ended up with a few things they were happy with.







After lunch we headed down to the grassy area of the park and played with bubbles, kites and a football.







It was a beautiful day out and it was a fun idea for a picnic! Thanks for planning it mom, you are the beatest.

Fun new stuff....

I am loving all the new stuff at House of Three a great new website full of fun stuff for your blog, scrapbooking and decorating projects! It was created by Heidi Swapp, Rhonna Farrer and Janet Hopkins, three amazing scrapbooking divas who I have been lucky enough to meet and take classes from at Creative Escape. The offered this great free blog background to celebrate their house warming party they are having this weekend! So I had to try it out! It's gotten me inspired to stretch my Photoshop abilities and hopefully start to learn how to use it for more than just cropping pictures :)

Happy Friday!

Banner Love!

I took a fun class at a new scrapbook store that opened just a little over a month ago in North East Phoenix. It's called Crafty Papers and it's at the SE corner of Thunderbird and Tatum. I made a cute mini album in a metal DVD tin with some great Cosmo Cricket Valentine papers!





























I have also been a little banner crazy around here.....
Here is one i finished this week I love how it turned out, I used the Laundy Line Papers from My Minds Eye and the great new Dotted Swiss card stock and great ribbon and pom poms from Bazzill











I also made a great red and black Twilight themed one that is hanging in Emily's room.







who doesn't love Twilight?!?!?!

Sundays and Super Bowls

There is nothing better than breakfast at LoLo's Chicken and Waffles on a Sunday! Today we took my parents with us, we've been telling them how much we love it for so long and finally convinced them to try it with us! The food was fantastic as always, it's really the best fried chicken around, add some collard greens, mac & cheese, a waffle and some sweet tea...you will be so happy!
Lo Lo's has been cooking for the Cardinals every game day this season, and we heard today that they will be travelling with the team to Tampa to cook for them on Super Bowl Sunday! Let's hope it brings them good luck like it has all year!
We were lucky enough to be there the same time as Karlos Dansby who plays outside linebacker for the Cards, and he was kind enough to sign an autograph and pose for a picture!
What a fun morning!

GO CARDS!!!

Long time.....

Ok I have been a bad blogger......But it's a new year!

We had a wonderful Thaanksgiving in Colorado with my parents! We had a beautiful snow on Thanksgiving day and had so much fun playing in and watching the snow. But were happy to get home to the desert!

We had a wonderful Christmas and finally Emily can be in on the crusie planning.....we are going on a Disney Cruise for Spring Break!

Soooo looking forward to this trip and speding some time relaxing and as we hear being pampered!! Here is Emily on Christmas morning when she opened the treasure chest with the postcard Santa Mickey delivered about the cruise.

So far January has been back to work and school and we are both busy as usual. But so far 2009 looks to be a good year!

Hope you are all enjoying the new year!

100 Things....

I saw this on my friend Shannon's blog and thought it was fun....if you decided to play along on your blog let me know by leaving a comment!
Everything that I have accomplished off this list will be in red!

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo - in front of someone
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon (does 2 half marathons count?)
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing (fake wall only)
40. Seen Michelangelo's David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53.Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
100. Read an entire book in one day


Looks like there are 52 things I haven't tried....perhaps a trip to Europe is in order to knock out a few of them....some I will be happy to leave undone though...hopefully no broken bone bones or ambulance rides are in the near future!
If you want to play on your blog leave me a comment so I can read your answers.
Have a great week!