phew!!!

i have been working on this for the last day and a half. still have to get my blog going. really don't think it will be updated that much, but search engines pick up on text content, so the more text...the merrier!

it's thank you time. i am feeling so blessed to have met all the amazing ladies i have met over the last 7 years since i've moved to texas. it was rough when i first got here. not just physically (my first pregnancy in freakin' hot texas heat), but emotionally...ummm, my first pregnancy, just out of the Army, so far from home and my mother, sisters and brother. then, after michael was born, i decided to go scrapbooking, CM style with Tisha Beaird. What a gal. always made fun of the way i 'tawked' and such. haven't seen much of her lately besides an extended conversation in the super long line at goodwill last fall. hope she is well.

Tisha introduced me to Tina Sbriglia who introduced me to all the ladies in the MOMS Club. then, after many a friday night up in Tisha's scrappin' attic, i met Jana. things went along for a while (school--lots of it for both mike and me). then i met Jana again when i signed myself up for a crop at her scrapbook store that i was supposed to open :)

that's where i met, Aimee, Sheree, Renee, Lisa, Lori...the list could go on for days and days. i still run into a few of these ladies every few weeks or so, but Aimee has become my best friend. and Sheree...well, Sheree was basically supporting my family through the 'gas times' up until the summer and then she threw my name at her boss when she started at the bookstore, which has allowed me to name drop and become more confident in soliciting for my latest business endeavor. i don't know what i'd do without her...and not just b/c of what she has done for me.

and Jana, well, none of this would have happened at all if i hadn't felt so welcomed going into her scrapbook store. since i met these ladies, an entire world of what i call hobby work has opened to me. yes, i work on my hobby at all hours when i'm not being a mom. not that i stop being a mom. i just take breaks here and there where i immerse myself in it and try to remember to push the scissors away from the edge of the scrap table or hit ctrl-s before i go back to being mom.

and, in doing that, (i think my dog has really bad gas right now...poor fella). as i was saying...in doing that, i have met a ton of ladies online whom i follow; i try to keep up at least every few days with what's going on in their lives, read their latest blog posts and view their works on several different boards on the internet...and become completely inspired. Aleida, Greta, Elizabeth, Simone (the last two really need to update her blog, btw :) .) are the four who come to mind right now. i 'keep tabs' on them the most. and while they might not realize it, they have certainly done a bunch more for me than just provide scrappy inspiration. and the ladies at SC...wow...and more recently here. too much fun and so sweet!

and while they are not my family, they really feel like it and have certainly made me feel at home here.

i'm just so glad that i have been able to finally suck Aimee into this amazing world of 'online communities'. sometimes i think she might be worse than i am...tee-hee!

anywho, i'm feeling sappy tonight and i just wanted to get that out. oh, one more thing...

a little deal called SYC (scrap your crap)...be sure to right click, 'save image as', upload to photobucket or whatever, copy link and sport it on your blog AND partake in the challenges. they're awesome and wonderful cures for paper-buyers' remorse!

Owen: Mean Baby II video tomorrow (i hope).