Should be a great round.  If you would like more information on Stamps in the Mail, check out my SPECIALS page with ALL the details.  Email me at mkkimber@yahoo.com if you still have questions or would like to register. Registration ends on January 15th. 

Have a GREAT Wednesday!

XOXOXO

Homecoming's are always amazing but they are bittersweet.  When you've lived apart for so long it does take awhile to get back to your normal family dynamics.  One thing NEVER changes and that is the love that you have for each other.  In fact, I believe in the old saying, "Absence makes the heart grow fonder!"  I love him more today and I can tell the kids do too.  

This past weekend we were part of something pretty spectacular.  Operation Welcome Home Maryland is an organization that is welcoming home all the Troops from Iraq as they come home through BWI airport. They were also a big part of the Arlington National Cemetery Wreath laying event this past weekend.  90,000 wreaths were placed on the headstones at the cemetery.  It was an amazing event and the kids really enjoyed being a part of something so big.  They walked their little legs off but we were grateful to be with Russ on this day. 

Can I tell you one complaint? My car has been pushed to the side.  Russ bought a new car and he's taken over the garage.  Now my pretty car sits outside and gets CHILLY every night. Not only that, it has a big bird POOP on it.  Grr. It's my only complaint. 

Lastly, the card.  It's been awhile since I've had anything creative on here.  Here it goes: This is for my Prince.

XOXOXO

Today's goal… Find the stamps, blow the cob webs off and make something pretty.  I'm going to pray this really DOES happen.

Here is a quick overview of what we've done and the ending is pretty spectacular!

*I turned 41.  No biggie. Only change I feel is the need for new glasses.  I really cannot see unless you put it way far in front of me. 

*I had a HUGE Bunco party with 21 new friends.  It was a big hit and we had a grand time. 

*I had a Water Main break that cost me $4000! That's a lot of pretty shoes that I will not be buying. Good news- it's fixed and my yard didn't suffer too much damage. 

*My kids have me running at 100mph every single day with new activities that we brought on board. The latest is their love for swimming.  We are at the pool pretty frequently but they love it and they are getting to be really good.  This makes my cheeks hurt from smiling. However, being the one man show with driving them is exhausting.

*I became a full on Girl Scout Leader.  Before I was mainly the helper.  Now I'm the go to person with two amazing Co-Leaders who rock my world. 

*Working on new badges with Brandon as he works towards his Arrow of Light in Cub Scouts.  Not much longer and my little boy will be a big Boy Scout.  Where did the time go

*Alexis asked if I had RETIRED from Stampin' Up!  Oh jeez.  "No sweetheart, I'm just taking care of you my love."

* Went to a Kansas Concert with my BFF Denise.  We didn't know all the music but we sure did have fun.  It was the first time I had been "out" in a long time.  I was excited because my neighbor was keeping my kids overnight.  At 1030pm I received a call from the kids. Both were crying and wanted to come home.  REALLY? I picked them up, pj's on and they crawled in my bed.  I went to bed early that night, too.  I kept thinking how lucky I was. While I didn't get that night alone that I had really longed for I was grateful my kids needed me.  When you are a single parent you tend to think of yourself as the bad guy all the time.  Glad to know they still loved me.

*Thanksgiving was a HUGE success. I had a pity party the night before.  Then on the morning of Thanksgiving myself and the kids went to a homeless shelter to help them serve food.  It was such a fantastic morning.  I'm  not sure if Brandon really understood.  About an hour into serving I was on the food line when he came up to tell me he was hungry.  I tried to keep my eyeballs from falling out but he kept insisting he needed to eat too.  I gently explained to him that he didn't understand what hungry really meant and the people here receiving the food were much more hungry than he was. About 10 minutes later he was sitting comfortably with a homeless man eating breakfast.  No comment, but Lord give me strength. We finished our day with military friends who invited us to dinner.  We came home and I crashed on the couch.  Very disappointing as I really wanted to go Black Friday shopping. 

*Brandon went camping in 19 degree weather.  I spent a lot of money getting this boy ready for the camping trip.  There was nothing left out, or so I thought.  He called me about 930pm from someones cell phone.  "Mama, I can only talk for a minute. I'm in the No Electronic Zone."  You can hear his teeth chattering! He says,  "Did you pack chapstick?"  No, Brandon.  Why? "My lips are really chapped."  Are you kidding me? I worried all night long knowing he was cold. He came home and his lips were AWFUL.  Next time I know what to pack first. 

*The kids had their first school dance.  The week prior was dramatic as to who they were "taking" to the dance.  I was a bit surprised at how big of a deal this was considering their ages.  Not to mention the prep involved for getting ready for the dance. I kept telling the kids I was just as excited about the dance.  They couldn't understand why.  I finally told them I would be doing the "worm" and "moon walk" across the cafeteria floor and I couldn't wait to show them other dance moves that I know.  I thought Brandon was going to pass out.  He begged me not to.  I told him he better behave at home.  Worked like a charm.   Nevertheless, they enjoyed the dance and they were BEAT when we got home.  They really danced the night away. I did shake my bootie for a few songs and laughed watching other mom's wiggle it too.  They can't keep a good dancer down.  

*I took the kids Ice Skating.  It was their first time.  I have never laughed so hard in my life.  It was hysterical. They came out without broken bones and wanting to do it again.  

*The countdown to the Prince coming home was making us giddy.  Russ left Baghdad on November 30th and arrived in Kuwait.  He stayed there for 4 days to chill out and refocus.  It was killing us knowing he was almost here.  December 5th he arrived in the United States.  Only to fly out again 3 hours later to Norfolk, VA for another Out Processing routine.  Knowing he was 3 1/2 hours from home was painful.  This process was supposed to be 4 days long.  Russ called the morning of the 6th to let me know he would be on a plane that evening and was coming home.  I couldn't believe it.  The next 6 hours was spent running around in circles.  I hurried to pick up balloons and a banner for the kids to hold when he got off the plane.  We hurried to the airport and worked a little magic to get directly to the gate so we could see him right away.  I had everything ready, even the Big Camera.  As he was coming up the escalator I was ready to shoot the pics of the kids all excited and nothing was happening.  My CARD was FULL.  I wanted to cry.  Instead I whipped out my iPhone and started shooting.  Not the pictures I wanted, but it's okay.  What's important is HE is HOME! We can't get enough of him and I am truly in a zone I haven't been in awhile.  It feels exciting to know he is not going anywhere for awhile.  The kids are completely distracted this week at school.  They just want to be near him.  The night he came home Brandon tried to catch him to speed on everything that he's done in the last 7 months.  Quite exhausting for Russ but he just smiled and let the boy do his thing.  The kids slept in our bed the first night with us.  We call that a Family Night for them and a "WE don't get SLEEP" night for us.  All in all it was exactly what they wanted and needed.  It feels so good.  LIFE IS GOOD!

Now, over the last 7 months I've learned a lot.  I've learned that FAMILY will always come before anything else.  I've learned that although my husband is home I will continue to support military families with deployed spouses and pray for their safe return home.  Another very important thing I've learned is the support I've had (and my family) from the stamping community and Stampin' Up! friends.  It's quite overwhelming.  Your cards, thoughtfulness and caring emails will always be cherished forever.  I cannot thank you enough for the things you not only did for me, but for my children and Prince.  They know they are loved by my stamping friends.  They talk about you all the time. 

I know I promised a card, and I have it but I have to edit it. I am heading out to a Brownie event.  I will upload when I get home. 

Forever Grateful,

XOXOXO

Just a quick post to send you to a free My Digital Studio download. Click HERE to view this blog post from the My Digital Studio website.  If you are in LOVE with MDS you will want to be a part of this great website and resource. There are also new downloads today.

Click HERE to see the new downloads.

Lastly, a quick card to share.  I'll be back with more details and maybe even another card. 

Have a fantastic day. 

XOXOXO

When I left you around the 6th of October I was expecting my parents for a visit.  Their visit was AMAZING! The weather was beautiful and we accomplished tons in the 12 days they were here. One of the top things my dad wanted to see was the Vietnam Memorial.  He is Vietnam Vet and lost a best friend while they served together.  Since my dad had never been I wanted to make sure this was at the top of our list to see.  When we got there I could see how emotional it was going to be.  The memorial was amazing.  To our surprise a volunteer helped my dad find his friends name.  We were amazed how helpful the volunteer was.  I could tell this was a very special moment for my dad when he touched that wall for the first time. 

This was quite a history lesson for the kids. 

We also visited Arlington National Cemetery.  WOW! Just a beautiful place.  This is one of my favorite pics for this day. The kids loved watching the soldiers guard the unknown soldier. 

Lastly, a quick look at two people I respect greatly and I am so glad we were able to spend 12 AMAZING days together… my parents!  It was great they were able to see the beauty of Virginia in the Fall.  It's beautiful. 

The other BIG, BIG news was our visit from the Prince.  He was home for his R & R. Otherwise known as Rest & Relaxation.  We weren't sure if he was going to make it home or not.  It was a big surprise for the kids in order to save any disappointment if he didn't come home.  I picked him up from the airport and my cheeks hurt from smiling so big when he rounded the corner in his uniform. I almost did a no no and ran past the security people.  I couldn't get to him FAST enough. 

We got home just in enough time to get to the bus stop.  The looks on their faces was priceless. I can only imagine the feelings and emotions that must go through his mind as he see's their reactions. 

While every day was amazing there is a transition phase you go through when they come home. Russ had the 8 hour time change from Iraq back to the states.  It's brutal on the body and the Prince wasn't back to his normal self for about 3 days.  The kids also think they can get away with MURDER during the 15 day R & R.  Easy on Russ, not for me.  LOL! Needless to say any type of normal routine was thrown out the window.  My parents stayed a few extra days to see Russ and then they drove back home.  We had a few days to ourselves and then my in laws came for a visit.  We were able to spend 5 great days with them.

Once all of our relatives left it was time for the four of us to just enjoy the time we had left together.  I felt my shoulders relax for the first time.  It was great to sit on the couch and listen to the kids ONLY interact with him. When the kids went to bed it was great to just sit quietly with him.  It felt normal and I liked it. I didn't want to think about him leaving. 

He does have to go back… BUT…we do have some GOOD news to talk about!!

My Prince is coming home earlier than expected.  YES, YES, YES!!! If you've watched the news you probably heard they are sending the troops home from Iraq by the end of the year.  My sweetheart is one of them.  The kids were elated.  Alexis didn't care that her Daddy would be home for Christmas but that he would be home for her birthday in January.  Silly girl. 

Wednesday we made the trip to the airport once again. You would think the trip to the airport would get easier. It never does but there is LIGHT at the end of our tunnel.  I'm grateful for the AMAZING 15 days we had together and anxious to see the next 6 weeks go by.  We are almost to the finish line.  

Now I'm in the process of getting the kids and myself back into our norm.  While my house is a chaotic mess, and my stamp room has cob webs growing on my stamps… I'm gong to bed tonight with a big smile on my face because I am so proud of what he does and for our country. 

I'll be starting regular postings on Monday.  This will give me time to clean off my stamps and see if my brain still has a creative side.   

Thank you again for all your support and prayers.

XOXOXO

Okay, forgive the picture quality. It comes from my iPhone at a very early hour. (Note: anything before 10am is very early to me).  Remember I told you my kids pulled a little prank on me? This would be the second time.  They are quite funny and have great humor.  Sunday Morning I was super excited to sleep in.  After a week of school and non stop business  I just wanted to sleep.  Alexis comes to my bedside at 930am and says: "Mama, someone is at the door for you and they say it's important!"  Me: "WHAT? Who in the world comes this early on a Sunday morning!  Tell them no thank you, please!" Alexis:"Mama, they say it's really important!"  Me: "Okay, I'll be there in a minute."  I get dressed into decent clothes and throw a hat on my head.  I take a quick glance at myself and thought I looked pretty scary and quite possible this could scare the person at the door.  When I get to the door I see this little gem of a "girl" outside with a clipboard.  She says to me, "Hi Ma'am, would you like to buy some Girl Scout cookies? I look down at the box and my eyes are still blurry.  I notice the box is taped up with White paper but in the corner of my eye I see the letters "Stampin' Up!"  I look at the little "girl" again and it finally hit me!  That was NOT a little girl.  That was my BRANDON!!  At that point I started to laugh so hard I couldn't control myself and the kids did too.  They couldn't believe I fell for it at first.  Once we stopped laughing I started looking at the precious little details these two kids went through to pull this prank off. 

Here is what she did to him…

*Eyeshadow

*Blush

*Nail Polish

*Foundation

*He is wearing Lexi's clothing

*Her shoes

*Her purse

*Her Hannah Montana purse

*Her eyeglasses

*Mole on his cheek

*Her Necklace

*Her hat

When you start to factor all this "stuff" this was a lot to pull together. They were having the time of their lives while I was sleeping.  Oh Jeez. 

These are the things that I hold so dear to my heart.  They are so funny and their sense of humor makes me laugh out loud even when they are not around. I only worry that this is the second prank and they are only a ripe age of 8 & 10.  I can't imagine what's in store for me as they get older. 

Do your kids do these things?

Just so you know, Brandon was frantically taking off finger nail polish on Monday morning.  He almost forgot about it.  *giggle*

Have a fantastic weekend and do something fun for yourself and your family. 

XOXOXO

It's time to reveal the winner from my Holiday Mix Up post.  Thank you to all of you that responded.  Not only did you give me many great ideas but I also learned that so many of you suffer from my same syndrome: PSS!  It was great to hear that so many of us will be defeating this syndrome this year and making strides to get those Christmas cards out this year. 

The winner is:

Sep 8, 2011 – 05:09:35 | Edit

Thank you to all of you for taking the time to comment and tell me your story.  I loved reading them.  I think we should do this again! What do you think?

FYI: I used a plugin for WordPress blogs called And The Winner Is.  It's a slick plugin that randomly pics comments within your post.  It's pretty cool and easier to use than Random Number Gen. 

Have a BEAUTIFUL week!

XOXOXO

Today I thought I would have a Holiday Mix Up here. I've been showing you Fall and Halloween, it's time to open the Christmas vault.  If you are like me and you hand stamp your Christmas cards you should by now have at least an idea of WHAT you would like to stamp.  Make a plan and figure out how many you need.  If you can pick ONE day per week from now until the first week of December to work on your cards you will save yourself from PSS.  PSS in the stamping community means  Procrastination Stamping Syndrome.  I've had it for 8 years.  I am the girl who starts *thinking* about her Christmas Card design around the second week of December.  I stamp them all the way up to Christmas.  They are sent out around January 1st or so.  PLEASE someone tell me YOU have this syndrome!  Surely I'm not the only one? I am bound to STOP PSS and show my family I can be a good stamping girl and get my Christmas cards out on time. Possibly with a picture of my kids too.  YEAH!!

Here is my first Christmas card design of the year and it's more of a Winter card than Christmas.  Give me a few props… I'm trying. *Hee Hee*

Holy Cow! I love these felt little Snowflakes.  Here is what I did:

This card started off simple and then became over the top. I pulled out my sewing machine and sewed all the Snowflakes onto the Pool Party cardstock.  I took the prongs off of each of the Antique Brads and hot glued them onto the snowflakes.  I wrapped and tied a bow with Whisper White ribbon around the bottom of the Pool Party.  I then used a sentiment "Let it Snow" from the Punch Pals stamp set.  I mounted this onto Night of Navy Cardstock.  My card base is Pool Party cardstock again.  On the front of the card I used the Delicate Doilies stamp set with Whisper White Craft ink.  I mounted Night of Navy cardstock onto my card base using dimensionals.  I used my favorite Spritzer Tool that every stamper should have with a Soft Suede marker.  I lightly sponged around the entire card using Soft Suede ink.  Lastly, I used my Crystal Effects and Mica Flakes very lightly around the Felt Snowflakes. 

It may be a little over the top and I may not make 100 of them, but someone will be receiving this card!  It could be YOU! This card could even tip the scales over 5lb's in wt.  *hee hee*

Here's how:

I want to know when YOU start making your Christmas/Holiday Cards and HOW MANY do you make? Leave your comment by Sunday, September 11th Midnight EST.  I'll be choosing a name using the Random Number Generator thingy. I'll mail this card along with another on the following Tuesday!

Hope your day is FABULOUS!

XOXOXO

Tomorrow is a big day! The Holiday Mini will go live and unleash all the new goodies that you can purchase.  There are FABULOUS Halloween ideas and products in this mini.  You will squeal. Here is a card I made with one of the new stamps!

This card used the Piece of Poison stamp set and the Pick Your Poison Quick Accents.  Love these accents.  They are fantastic.  The other great product is the Pick Your Poison DSP. WOWSER! It's all fabulous.  It's spooky but cute. 

Check my Online Store tomorrow as it opens up for you to purchase all these fun fabulous cool things. 

Don't forget to check out Stamps in the Mail.  Registration opened yesterday and will continue until Sept. 10th.  It's going to be a great round!

XOXOXOXO

The rest of the day the kids and I were cracking jokes about the day.  I needed to lighten the attitudes in the house because Alexis didn't want to go outside.  By the end of the afternoon she was back out playing.  It helped that Russ Skyped in too.  He was able to tell the kids how great they did.  That brought a smile to their face.  However, as I'm talking to Russ on Skype he is dodging another rocket. Not kidding.  You hear the siren in the background and the "incoming, incoming" announcement.  At that moment I thought to myself, "My day isn't so bad!"  So glad the kids were not around to hear that. 

Now the rest of the week we are going to watch where the hurricane plans to go.  It's just another day in my crazy world. 

Let's pray the hurricane steers away from the East Coast.  It's been a whacky weather week already.

I'll keep you posted. 

XOXOXO