I want to take a moment to remind my readers that as we reflect on the days past and present, to keep your hearts open. Tonight my kids have spent some time in their rooms with the doors shut, this is not something that we usually allow in our house. We like to have open hearts and open communication. However, tonight they wanted this time and asked their dad if it was okay. They were making cards for me. Tomorrow is my birthday. As I thought on it, I couldn’t help but think of Susan. There is still no information and she is still missing. I thought about her sons. They will never get to have a moment like my kids had. They may have made things they are hoping to give to their mom. As much as this made me sad, I felt like we need to keep searching for an answer. Friends, Family, Bloggers, PLEASE take a look again at this postand the poster below. If you have ANY information, PLEASE contact the appropriate parties. Even if you wish to remain anonymous. Someone has answers and the family is desperately trying to find out what happen. Something, anything, they need/deserve to know. 

I want to thank ALL my readers for taking the time to read this post and look at the face. This face & story will be familiar to someone and that someone will come forward with answers. Answers the family is so desperatly seeking!

Often I sit here and think to myself: What should I blog about today? What is the sole purpose of my blog? What is the main theme of my blog? Do I have to have any of those things? Does anyone give a rip? Do I give a rip?

When I first started this blog in 2006 (I’ve removed a lot of my archived posts for various reasons) I was a huge scrapbooker. It was the reason for the domain name, however, as I grew away from scrapbooking daily, the name just stuck with me and I love it so it remained. I haven’t scrapbooked in the better part of a year. I miss it, I will begin again SOON! Its something I love and something I miss and I want those memories on paper for years to come. My kids will appreciate them when they are older too.

I’ve come to realize that my blog is my personal public space. Just as I am intrigued to read others, they are intrigued to read mine. Whatever may or may not fascinate my readers is what makes this blog unique. This blog is MY life, unedited! All of the ups, downs, ins, outs of parenting, photography, marriage, weight loss, life, and whatever else I want to spew are all here. It’s my little hodge-podge! Perhaps that is the scrapbooker in me coming through! So if I feel like talking about outdoor cushions for the patio set, the dogs latest adventure, what child made the honor roll, what disaster happened in our home, I will. I have no boundaries, because this is my life… unedited!

Blogged from my Blackberry

When I first saw the  request on Twitter for the family of Susan Powell asking bloggers to come together and blog about her, I thought to myself, this is the LEAST I can do to help a family that is so desperately trying to find someone they love, someone they care about, someone they miss. I got the email from Mr. James Hofheins and I thought about how I was going to word my post. I had seen the story, followed it, and read SOME of the media on it. I talked to my husband about it, because the more I thought about it the more distraught I became. Let me tell you why. I’ve never met Susan and I never have to to tell you that she is loved, missed, cared for, and is simply amazing. Her friends and family are out there doing things everyday to bring her home and won’t give up hope. Here’s the part that stings me just a little bit. I haven’t heard the husband talk. He was a person of interest, but even the donations for the search aren’t in his name. He’s NO WHERE! It turns my stomach. While I am sure Susan’s family and friends are incredibly heartbroken and can’t even begin to imagine how they are going to go on, what makes this story worse is she is a MOTHER! She has 2 boys. She may never again read them a bed time story or tuck them in, kiss a boo-boo, teach them to drive, fix them breakfast or dinner, laugh with them, cry with them, throw a ball for them to catch or bat, take them to the zoo or shopping… this is all things we as parents get to do everyday. These poor boys may never get to know what life is like with their mother.

Someone, somewhere knows something! It was NOT in Susan’s nature to “just leave”. However, if she did, someone is housing her. PLEASE speak up!! Do it for yourself, do it for her, do it for her CHILDREN!!

You can follow Susan’s family and friends on Facebook as they continue to search for her. And follow the stories on You Tube. Hug your loved ones tight and please please pray for Susan’s return or answers for her family and friends… for her sons! (*Click the Flier to see it larger for phone numbers & information!*)

Much Love!

Well this year, I’ve decided to make some New Years Resolutions. I went back and found my post from 2009 and I see that I did not tell you what my resolutions were. I think this was all strategic planning on my part. This way if I failed, no one could say… “Um, excuse me lady, but you didn’t keep your resolutions from last year, you don’t need new ones.” However, I love to torment myself so here goes nothing!! I have some resolutions I think I will TRY to keep this year!!

1) Stay on track with Project 365! Do a photo EACH and EVERY day for the entire year. Right now I only have them up on Facebook and since my profile is private you can’t view them. Note to self: Get them on Flickr!

EDIT – You can see my Project 365 here until I do it on Flickr!! *YAY*

2) No sleeping past 10 am any days. Sick or not, feeling horrid, depressed, whatever the case, up no later then 10am!

3) Stick to my gym routine. I was going 3 times a week. I stopped. No excuses. I am going to make this a goal I CAN keep and say that I MUST go at least 2 times a week. More is better though. I do not want to pay out the rear for life insurance rates like some people for being unhealthy and unfit!

4) Read a book. I haven’t read a book in AGES. I have several I want to read. There is no time limit on this, I just think that to instill in my children that reading is good, I need to lead by example. I also think reading can be therapeutic. So therefor, I am setting the goal to read A book this year. We all have to start someplace!!

5) Get into a routine! My routine is completely gone. I need to get back on track and I keep saying next week, next week, next week. Next week never comes. This is it. I need to get my routine and schedule back. I need to stop veering away from the things I need to do. Procrastinate less and get things DONE! (My husband will love this one.)

6) Scrap more. It’s been awhile since I scrapped. I need to get back into it. It was very good for me!

I’m going to try to review this every quarter and see how I am doing to keep myself on track. Hopefully it helps. It’s a new year and a new decade!! Time to make some changes in myself and this household.