Monday, March 28, 2011

Snow days again???

I thought the April started at the end of the week, so why are we having snow days once again??? Yesterday, church was cancelled due to ice and today we've had snow since early am, but now we just have mush. Since we had an unscheduled free day I was able to work on a challenge that I've been eyeing up.
Here is the collage that we were given - my eyes caught the blue, small square pictures, happy concept, flowers and black and from this I made...
I wrote about how I really like Dr. Pepper; my husband read it and gave me a hard time all day about having found a new love and replacing him! :) I kept explaining that I just wrote what came into my head, then he complained that I never wrote a poem for him. But, I just remembered that I did back when we first started dating, wonder if I can find that somewhere??? Anyway, I enjoyed the challenge and the time to scrap.

Friday, March 25, 2011

Time for a new plan

So maybe that is the title of my layout, but all in all it fits so well right now. Each week since Gino's birth I've tried to ease things back into my schedule and each week I decide I need a new plan. Now I think these boys were up to something other than schoolwork and housework, but my plans are based on these things with a little creative time thrown in. I'm not sure what next weeks strategy will be, but I am sure glad it is Friday and time for some "lazy" days! These are the backgrounds I've been working on for my She Art workshop - it took me forever because I don't tend towards the messy layered thing, but I kept working on them and I love them! So proud of myself!!! Now I wonder how long it will take me to create the actual girls - I'm hoping it won't take another 3 weeks! :)

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

Success!

I have all the kids in bed and am waiting for Mike to get home from worship practice so I thought I'd stop in and update things a bit here. This week is going much better than last did - I don't feel like I am going to tear my hair out which is a good thing. Unfortunately, my physical body isn't quite keeping up with my emotions as my body is protesting all the things I want to do even though my mind says things are good! So, today I played in my scrapbook room and ditched the chores (I needed to rest, right?). These aren't all from today, but I didn't finish up the little touches on these, made a new layout, and worked on my backgrounds for my she art class. So all in all today was a very good day - scrapping, schoolwork with the kids, made a real meal - success! Here is the traditional layout I do for all the kids with the important information. For some reason I can't get this to photograph well, oh well it looks great in person! :) These are the pictures that we have taken with each child - Daddy holding the newest and Mommy still totally out of it holding the little one. I made a layout a few years ago with me in my traditional pose holding Tracy, then Anthony and Marc - I guess I will have to make a new one with Vinny and Gino's added. Who would have ever thought we'd have 5 children??? I know Mike sure didn't! He didn't want any kids to start with, then by the time we got married we had compromised his 0 and my 12 to 2. When Mike decided he wanted an Excursion I made him promise to give me 4 kids - to fill up the truck. Now, he is already talking about #6! Unfortunately, the truck is full so we are going to have to call it quits. Plus, I think my body would fall apart with another one. Thank goodness for pain meds! :)

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Sketchy Thursday again...

I'm back a week later; doing much better but still soooooo tired. Gino had a photo shoot today - I'm so excited to get some of those cute baby pictures, it took 5 babies, but finally! :) Here is my favorite (but I've only seen a few so far), Giovanni at 2.5 weeks.

I also made it back into my scrap room to create a few things; here is my layout based on Sketchy Thursdays sketch this week and some of our pictures from our family shoot in November.

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

Sketchy Thursday - being creative again

I made it back into my scrap room and actually managed to finish this layout using this weeks sketch for sketchy thursday and also my Feb Scrapbook Circle kit. Now how long did it actually take me to complete this, well that is a totally different story! :) But I made it back!!!
I've been saving this pocket from an older SC kit and couldn't figure out a good place for it, but I love how it holds all of us. It makes me think of the verse in the Bible about a full quiver - I think we've got that, don't you? And other than some nutty kids right now I wouldn't change any of it. Yes I could use an asprin b/c today was rough, but I love being surrounded by my children. And you know, I might want more! AHHHHHH! Don't tell Mike, that would totally put him over the edge, so we will just keep that as our little secret (probably forever). Shhhhh.....

Thursday, March 3, 2011

Home again

And now we are 7! Giovanni and I came home yesterday about noon to a house full of excited kids. Tracy had planned a party and I had planned a nap, needless to say yesterday was a blur - almost made me want to run back to my hospital room and peace and quiet. Mike was supposed to stay home today, but reality calls and so he headed off to work this am. He was able to wait until I could get downstairs which helped. The day went pretty well - laundry, school, and dinner - all done barely; course I almost set the smoke alarms off when I forgot that I had put some oatmeal on the stove for some lunch. Needless to say, the house stinks and is a mess now! :( Oh well, tomorrow is a baby dr appt and then I am hoping Mike can take care of getting the house back in order for me to maintain next week.
So I did get a chance to load the pictures off the camera and so I'd like to introduce you to Giovanni Michael Antenucci - Gino for short! He has decided he is quite happy to nurse, nap in his playpen even though the world sounds like it is going to fall apart on the other side of the mesh, and sleep cuddled in Mommy's arms some of the night.

Wednesday, March 2, 2011

Wise one

That's what I am thinking of this new little bundle with the big name plate. He looks so wise and I wonder... What message is he bringing to Mommy and Daddy? Giovanni means "God's gracious gift" and I can't help wondering in this gift, this miracle that we've been sent went should we learn/hear from the Lord? I've never had such an intense feeling like I do this time about the wonders that are hiding right behind those fluttering eyelids and when those clear little blue eyes stare at you... I am continually amazed by the goodness of the Lord to my family and I - 5 healthy children that just adore one another (most of the time), a Mommy and Daddy that just enjoyed some time alone for the past 2 days and are such good intimate friends, a church that has just completely made me feel loved and cherished with such good friendships beginning to blossom. Yes, I have concerns and our family is facing probably the most intense struggle of ever, but as I begin to think about His mercies which are new every morning my struggles seem so small and insignificant compared to my God's greatness. My only concern that remains is praising the Lord because He is good to me!