Disney on Ice

Boy, this past week has sure been busy...work has me feeling a little overwhelmed lately, but hoping that I can get caught up on a few things next week and get back on track. As an extention of my job as an enrollment couselor, I am also the advisor for our student newspaper...we print only 3 times per semester, but it still takes up plenty of time! Our next issue comes out Monday and then I'll have a little break from it with Christmas and all.

Little unsure how new student numbers for spring are going to pan out...we seem to be a bit behind at this point, but if there's one thing I've learned in six years of this is that you never know what will happen in the last few weeks, so am keeping my fingers crossed.

An exciting thing this week - I took the day off of Thursday and headed up to Sioux Falls with Kaitlin and mom for a day of shopping. We met my sister, Lynn, as soon as she got off work. Got some Christmas shopping done. Then, at night we went to Disney on Ice - Lynn had gotten some free tickets through her work. Kaitlin LOVED it - so glad that we went...the costumes were gorgeous! I got a few good pictures, so will surely be doing a page on that eventually...I still have quite a few Christmas presents to get done first!

That's all for now...

for real...super serious

A couple of the phrases that Kaitlin is using right now that really crack me up are "For real!" and "Super serious!". Not only are the phrases themselves funny coming from a 4 1/2 year old, but her facial expressions that go along with are just as hilarious! I can't wait to catch her in that moment of trying to convince me that what she is saying is true...I often say, "No way!" even though I know what she is saying is true just to get her response. What a fun age!

Frognecks = Turtlenecks??

Hmmm...starting a blog...not sure how this is going to go, but we'll give it a try. Anyone reading this would soon discover this, so I might as well come right out and say it - "I am obsessed with everything scrapbooking!"

Actually, that is the main reason I am giving this a go...1) to hopefully have a better record of some of the things that touch me, inspire me, make me laugh - for use in my scrapbooking, of course and 2) to perhaps share some layouts - assuming I get it figured out how to post them. :)

You will also soon learn that my other obsession is my daughter, Kaitlin, who is 4 years old. Case in point...my things that make me laugh entry for today:

It is getting quite cold here in SD and this morning as I was getting her dressed for preschool we decided on a pink turtleneck. I also had on a turtleneck sweater and she said, "Look, Mom! I'm wearing a frogneck just like you!" She was quite pleased...I tried to explain that they are called 'turtlenecks', not 'frognecks', but she just looked at me with disbelieving eyes and said, "Frogneck!" quite insistantly. Okay, dear, just for you, I'll call them frognecks!!

Until next time...

remember this...

This is a layout that I did this weekend that has a special little story behind it...the photos were actually taken by my mother-in-law when my daughter was staying with them for a weekend. Kaitlin and Papa Rahn were planting mums at her Great-Grandmother Marilyn's grave. We gave Kaitlin Marilyn's middle name, Rose, in honor of her.

I don't usually scrap photos taken by others, but this just seemed to be an important story to tell and I had never quite gotten or found the right picture for it yet, but these seemed to be it...

The journaling is hidden behind the main photo which opens to reveal it:

You never had the chance to meet you Great-Grandma Marilyn, Kaitlin, as she passed about two years before you were born, but she is still very much a part of your world.

When you were quite young we told you about Grandma Marilyn…in the beginning it was just about how Mommy & Daddy decided to give you her middle name {Rose} in her honor.

But then you got a little older and wondered where Grandma Marilyn was and we told you,
“Grandma Marilyn is in Heaven.”

“Where’s Heaven?” you asked.

“Way up in the sky.” A simplified answer, I know. You accepted this without must questioning, but certainly did not forget.

You often speak of you Grandma Marilyn and recently you said to me out of the blue, “Mom, did you know that Grandma is watching over me from Heaven?”

“Why yes, Kaitlin, yes she is.” I said with a smile.

Is it coincidence that you seem to have such a connection with a Great-Grandmother you never knew? I don’t think so.

Anyone who knew Marilyn knows how desperately she wanted great-grandbabies and as your Daddy was her first grandchild to marry, we were often asked the question of when we would start a family.

It was about a year after her passing that we found out we were to have you – the great-grandbaby that she had so wanted.

So, I have no doubt that you do have you very own special angel in Grandma Marilyn watching over you from Heaven, Kaitlin.

Watch over her well, Marilyn Rose. We think of you often…