Another crafty-cheap-decorating idea:)

Here are a couple of my cheap frame "Holiday Re-Dos" All I did was take frames that I already had-most of them have pictures in them and just replaced the pictures with Christmas Scrapbook Paper. Fun, Festive, Cheap and really easy! When done I will just simple put the picture back up front-or maybe some winter Scrapbook paper in some-and leave the Christmas stuff behind it waiting for next year. :)

I Know it Has Been Awhile...more to come later on that...

But it is Advent Season and I wanted to post my cheap advent calendar:) I made this using some Christmas Scrapbook paper and ribbon-inside each little folded piece of paper is a fun activity to do as a family and a Bible verse to read. I am excited to do this!

I will post a much longer post soon (half-way done with it) about what has been happening the past 3 months! But for now the kids are waking up-but Hello! I am back:)

And another month goes by-we had fun!

Wow! How is it already the month of Aug...and it is 1/2 way done! This time thing is crazy:) We have been busy so that helps it pass quicker than we want. The last weekend of July we got to go on a little mini-family vacation with my folks. This has been a summer tradition since before the kiddos entered our lives, not long trips, typically 3-4 days-and ooo soo much fun. This year we found ourselves in Birch Bay WA-and Vancouver BC-we stayed in a great little house and had a blast up there:)

This week found us celebrating Justin's 30th Birthday-I now have about 3 months where we are the same age...and then another 9 of him taunting me by his 'youth.' We had fun-hiked up Rattlesnake Trail (we hiked, Claire hung out, and Blake mostly hiked and did some hanging) ;). Came home and the kiddos napped while we got ready to go out on a date.

As most of our dates do, we found ourselves indulging on peanut treats that we can't eat in the presence of Blake (poor guy! still praying that he is healed)-so we found ourselves at Thai 65 at the Landing in Renton (sooo yummy) and then eating Reses Pieces during the show (Captain America)-birthday guys choice. :)

This week we find ourselves prepping for a 2 day camping adventure...with kids and some friends and their daughter....the weather looks good...and we are going for it-wish us luck!

New stuff...

Some NEW designs to come! Let me know if you see anything you like:)

Tribute to Friends

I had a GREAT weekend last weekend as I got to see one of my long time best Friends-dare we let people know for almost 12 years!!!! OH MY YIKES!!! )This is a phrase I have been using-lately something I think fits many circumstances and I don't care if my 3.5 year old were to repeat it.

Anyway, we met the fall of 1999 in on our floor, but the friendship began in Gwinn Commons (SPUs fancy cafeteria)-and where we each had a plate of of acid fruit...both of us couldn't get over how awful and funny it was (since Gwinn was new and all the rage). From that point we quickly became friends-turning her triple into a quad (since she lived with to great gals and I lived with psychos). I am not kidding here people-1 of my roommates had a paper route that rang our phone EVERY morning at 3 am-in college-freshman year mind you...now I was not out doing illegal or inappropriate things, but I certainly was not going to bed at a decent hour in my first year of figuring out life on my own. And if that wasn't enough it turned out that my 2nd roommate (thank you ridiculous guys/ratio at SPU for the TRIPLE) had a stealing problem....and stole tons of stuff from me and the other crazy roommate.

But anyway that is not the point....back to my best pal Jenny. It was sooo very good to see her. She has been and will forever be someone I can just pick up with wherever we leave off. We can talk for hours but don't feel like we have to. She is where Claire gets her beautiful middle name, Rachel, and will forever be my kiddos "aunt."

Which brings me to my tribute...We have another amazing friend Kate, who grew up with "fake" cousins, and when we all found this out we thought it was soo funny that people she called cousins, she wasn't really related to. As I have kids, and as I have been blessed with some amazing friends from college, and throughout my life, I have realized this is not crazy at all...these women are the sister's I would choose. So I find comfort in knowing that someday Blake and Claire will refer to Paige (and Rubie, Oliver, Caedmon, and Kasen...as well as others and those that are still to come) as their cousins, and their friends will find out they are not really related...who cares. It is like someone once said "Friends are the Family we choose."

Krista, Me and Kate-celebrating Krista's 30th

A couple of crafts.....

I did do SOME crafty things this month...mostly for other people...which is really fun for me. Here are 2 that I did for my sis-in-law and my best buddy from college. They are profiles of their daughters:) The 3rd one I did was a Dad and Daughter shot that I turned out pretty cute as well, but somehow I let it leave my house without snapping a photo... :(

This is Paige Elizabeth...I will post the other at a later date as my internet is being annoying at the time....

Whew...where has this month gone?

Blake and I on his last day of his 1st year of preschool (I sure hope we get on on his LAST day of HS-like this)

Fun Pic of Blake on the beach (yes his glasses are upsidedown).

Whew-so June is Gone...when did that happen...it has been a busy one for the Dobbins crew-not much crafting has occurred (this week commenced some fun things that I will post soon). We spent some time at the beach with some friends, celebrated Justin being a dad for 4 Father's Day (how time has flown), Justin and I got to get away from the kiddos for 4 whole days and go to our church (www.bluesky-church.com) conference which was so great, upon returning we celebrated a dear friends 30th Birthday by wake boarding (when I say we I mean all four of us went...only Justin wake boarded), and Blake and Claire and I got up each morning this week to brave the cold waters of the outdoor pool for swim lessons.

Swim lessons...now that is a lot of work...the first day started off rough when Blake remembered where his class was held 2 summers ago (we didn't go last year because Claire was only 3 months old and I would have had to been in the water with Blake while attending to her needs, and while I am a pretty good multitasker that seemed impossible)....anyway he remembered and threw a FIT about wanting to go in the other pool.. He got over it...meaning I left him with the teacher and they figured it out:) and the rest of the week went well. Both my kids are fish...different kinds though. Blake is the kind that enjoys the water but you wouldn't see doing any flips or craziness, he would just be floating along enjoying the sun. Claire, however, is a different bread, she is the kind of fish you see in the distance jumping all around but can never seem to pin down. I think she really thought she would be fine if I let her go, and was quite perturbed the entire week that I kept holding on to her the WHOLE time. What kind of a mom am I?!?!

Claire is 16 months now...I know crazy...and is entering into the world of "2 word sentences" the first one came out unprompted last night "Hi Da" (Hi Dad.) when he came home from work:)

Blake and I are in the battle of the nap right now. I have to decide do I let him sleep in the afternoon so that his tired grumpy attitude goes away...or do I let him play so that bed time is smooth sailing due to the exhaustion. The jury is still out on this one...at least he is happy to play alone for 1-1.5 hours on the days he doesn't sleep...

Claire and I on the Beach