Rees's Pieces

2010-10-08T10:41:00.000-07:00

Excited about....NEW TIRES???

These types of things never excited me before.
Now...with husband in a different state, I have found
myself spouting out terms like "bushings" and "shock tower"
not to mention the odd serenity I have felt while
reading "The Book Thief" amidst the cacophony of hydraulic lifts,
air wrenches, and the clinking and clanking of mechanic's tools.
Even the oil-scented atmosphere was welcoming.
New bushings and washers - check.
Safety and Emmissions - check.
Registration renewal - check.
New tires - check.
I am evolving.

2010-10-03T10:36:00.001-07:00

I took these pictures this morning to remind myself how I decorated the house this year so that I can do it the same way next year.
Then I thought, "It will not be this way next year. It will be different."
A different home awaits.
Why, then, did I take these pictures?
Perhaps for a memory.
Perhaps for a record.
Halloween 2010 at 982 N. 1100 E.
Halloween 2011 at...?

2010-09-29T10:54:00.000-07:00

BIGGEST burger I've ever eaten!! The incomparable Bacon Green Chile Cheeseburger at Greasewood Flat in Scottsdale, AZ. Holy Burger, Batman!

Taking my first of many HUGE bites of flavor explosion goodness :-)

Hey! Who's that handsome cheeseburger model?

We were THERE!

2010-09-15T14:27:00.000-07:00

This one's for you, Honeycombe...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ehu3wy4WkHs&ob=av3e

"Now I'm not a highly metaphysical man
But I know when the stars are aligned you can
Bump into a person in the middle of the road
Look into their eyes, and you suddenly know."

"But I know one thing, that I love you"

"I love you. I love you. I love you"

miss: to notice the absence or loss of

2010-09-08T10:31:00.000-07:00

When a reach finds emptiness,

and solace is found in death.

When a ghost-glimpse of a memory past,

and a re-creation is as close as you can get.

When an empty spot screams,

and empty shoes create a deafening silence.

When an oft occupied place earns the honor of an offering,

and a vacancy consumes an entire space...

Then the curtain of denial rips
and you feel it.
The Missing.

A vow to update

2010-09-07T20:20:00.000-07:00

I just visited my blog for the first time in AGES. It is sorely lacking in updated posts...by over a year. I vow to update my blog soon. For now, I will at least change the background from Christmas to something more appropriate.

One down...many more to go!

2009-06-15T18:10:00.000-07:00

Jocelyn lost her very first tooth today! She's had a wiggly, wobbly tooth for several weeks now. She finally decided she'd had enough and made up her mind that it would come out TODAY. She twisted it and tugged at it a little....all to no avail. She then enlisted the help of mom who ever-so-gently applied pressure in a downward direction and "POP!" --- it was out. She is gleeful now because she can eat her chicken nuggets and cinnamon toast without being bothered by that darn wiggly tooth. I guess the Wiscombe house will be getting a visit from the Tooth Fairy tonight :-)

Summer Break!

2009-05-29T20:11:00.001-07:00

The 2008-2009 school year ended today...and SUMMER BREAK began! My kids participated in a yearly rite-of-passage --- bustin' out the Slip N Slide and going SLIDE-CRAZY!! I'm sure this is just the first of many, many water recreational activities we will have this summer. HOORAY FOR SUMMER!

Snowy Spring Break

2009-04-15T13:23:00.001-07:00

Call me crazy, but I don't think this is what Spring Break is supposed to look like. Even the birds are confused. I just ended a stare contest with a big, fat robin who seemed perplexed by the blanket of April white. I was the first one to blink, but at least I'm inside my nice, warm house while Mr. Robin has to combat the elements. Luckily, there is no shortage of dead worms on our back porch for him to eat --- all left over from the HUGE rainstorm last night.

Easter 2009

2009-04-15T13:00:00.001-07:00

Easter 2009 was full of family fun and lots of eggs! Micalyn, Parker and Jocelyn searched and found candy-filled eggs at two different Easter Egg Hunts. One was our neighborhood Easter
Egg Hunt and the other was the annual Healey Easter Egg Hunt in Alpine. After the egg hunts, we came home and decorated eggs for the Easter Bunny to hide. On Easter morning, the chocolate-fest went into overdrive when the kids found 1-lb. SOLID-CHOCOLATE Easter Bunnies in their baskets!

One Word Answers

2009-04-15T12:33:00.000-07:00

Give one word answers with no explanation, then tag five bloggers

1. Where is you cell phone...counter
2. Where is your significant other...working
3. Your hair color... blonde
4. Your mother...angel
5. Your father...hero
6. Your favorite thing...bubblebaths
7. Your dream last night...boring
8. Your dream goal...happiness
9. Room you're in...kitchen
10. Your hobby...scrapbooking
11. Your fear...finances
12. Where do you want to be in 6 years...here
13. Where were you last night...home
14. What you're not...skinny
15. One of your wish-list items...vacation
16. Where you grew up...Utah
17. The last thing you ate...roll
18. What are you wearing...sweatshirt
19. Your tv...signal-less
20. Your pet...stinky
21. Your computer...on
22. Your mood...blah
23. Missing someone...nope
24. Your car...black
25. Something you're not wearing...shoes
26. Favorite store...Kohls
27. Your summer...coming?
28. Love someone...many
29. Your favorite color...pink
30. Last time you laughed...yesterday
31. Last time you cried...weeks

I tag: Teryn, Mignonne, Angela, Tiffany, Sasha, Jill and Camille

ROCK-A-PALOOZA!!

2009-03-22T14:49:00.000-07:00

40 year old rock star Kevin Wiscombe, the lead singer of "The Unit," was the performing star of the night. As the crowd pleaser, his obvious innate talent & dynamic abilities had all who were present on their feet screamin' for more.

When heart-throb Jimmy Larsen appeared on stage the estrogen levels skyrocketed! Security was called in to pull one particular concert goer back who was drooling all over him!

No one could rival "Dan the Man," on the guitar! His quick hand eye coordination made him the instant winner and high scorer of the night. After the performance, his large size & stature
made for the best bear hugs from the ladies!

Talented artist Kevin Wiscombe once again showing his expressive side!

The ensemble in action! They were amazing!

A few even gave a quick pose! Obviously, Jimmy & Kevin were a little too into the moment to pose.

Top performer Kevin Wiscombe, had a great time trying his hands on the drums!

Dancers, Reesula and Mindina really knew how to flip it!

Check out this band of hot ladies! Look at the intense concentration!

Even world famous photographer Camilla Larrseen had to get up and get into her groove.

One final glance at our amazing Rock N' Roll Extravaganza!

One concert goers description of the nights events. . . You Rock-N-Roll GODDESSES!!! Last night was the most fun I've had in 4-ever :) I can still picture you ladies bangin' those drums, jammin' that guitar (GO DANIEL ROCK-STAR!!) and singin' (screamin') like there was no tomorrow!! I think Jimmy should DEFINITELY replace Jon Bon Jovi because his version of "Wanted Dead or Alive" really brought the... Read More crowd to its feet! And let's not forget the oh-so-righteous DANCE MOVES :) Camille and Mindy --- your kickin' grooves inspired me to brush up on my dance skilzzzz. You two got "jiggy wit' it", "partied like it was 1999", and were "maniacs on the floor --- dancin' like you've never danced before". I love you all and cannot wait until our next ROCK-N-ROLL-PALOOZA :)

The Wiscombe Kids Speak!

2009-03-05T17:47:00.000-08:00

Here are some questions I asked my kids today after seeing this same post on a friend's blog. I wanted to see what their responses would be. From their answers, I seem to be some sort of cleaning Nazi who likes to dance in front of a lot of people and eat out :) Here are their responses:

1. What is something Mom always says to you?

Micalyn: "You should take a shower"

Jocelyn: "Clean your room"
Parker: "Time to take medicine"

2. What makes Mom happy?

Micalyn: "When we clean up"

Parker: "When I obey you"
Jocelyn: "When I clean up my room"

3. What makes Mom sad?

Micalyn: "When you have a lot of dishes"

Parker: "When Karlee died"
Jocelyn: "When I don't obey"

4. How does your mom make you laugh?

Micalyn: "Our inside jokes"
Parker: "When you make jokes"
Joceyn: "Tickling me"

5. What was your mom like as a child?

Micalyn: "I know that you were really smart and you were always the teacher's pet"

Parker: "You liked cheerleading"
Joceyn: "You were smart"

6. How old is your mom?

Micalyn: "38"

Parker: "38"
Jocelyn: "20"

7. How tall is your mom?

Micalyn: "4 feet 4 inches"

Parker: "5 feet 5 inches"
Jocelyn: "10 feet 10 inches"

8. What is your mom's favorite thing to do?

Micalyn: "Go to lunch with Almond"

Parker: "Go scrapbooking with Kari"
Jocelyn: "Go to meetings"

9. What does your mom do when you're not around?

Micalyn: "Watch TV when you're not cleaning"

Parker: "Sleep"
Jocelyn: "Have a rest"

10. If your mom becomes famous, what will it be for?

Micalyn: "Comedian or dancer"

Parker: "Cooking gyoza"
Jocelyn: "Cheerleader"

11. What is your mom really good at?

Micalyn: "Cooking"

Parker: "Making chicken roll ups"
Jocelyn: "Making peanut butter sandwiches"

12. What is your mom not very good at?
Micalyn: "Doing Pull-ups"

Parker: "Math"
Jocelyn: "Making paper dolls"

13. What does your mom do for a job?

Micalyn: "Keep the house clean and the dishes clean"

Parker: "Cleaning"
Jocelyn: "Make food"

14. What is your mom's favorite food?

Micalyn: "I think your favorite food is from Bajio"

Parker: "Gyoza"
Jocelyn: "Chicken"

15. What makes you proud of your mom?

Micalyn: "You have a good temper"

Parker: "Everything"
Jocelyn: "You take care of our family"

16. If your mom were a cartoon character, who would she be?

Micalyn: "Mrs. Puff --- the blowfish" (from Spongebob)

Parker: "Panini"

Jocelyn: "Spongebob"

17. What do you and your mom do together?

Micalyn: "We go out to lunch and talk"

Parker: "Homework"
Jocelyn: "Clean"

18. How are you and your mom the same?

Micalyn: "We're bad at math and we're tender hearted toward animals"

Parker: "We both have blondish hair"
Jocelyn: "We both have a whit shirt"

19. How are you and your mom different?

Micalyn: "Because you like to dance a lot in front a lot of people"

Parker: "I don't like to dance"
Jocelyn: "We don't have the same hair"

20. How do you know your mom loves you?

Micalyn: "Because you're nice and because we laugh together"

Parker: "You help me with my homework"
Jocelyn: " 'Cuz you say it"

21. What does your mom like most about your dad?

Micalyn: "That he loves you"

Parker: "He bought the house"
Jocelyn: "He does all the work"

22. Where is your mom's favorite place to go?

Micalyn: "To lunch with Almond"

Parker: "Del Taco"
Jocelyn: "Bajio"

Parker's Baptism

2009-01-03T19:05:00.000-08:00

Our little man Parker was baptized and confirmed a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day saints on January 3, 2009. It was a special day which we shared with friends and family. We witnessed the power of the priesthood as Kevin baptized his son and blessed him with the gift of the Holy Ghost. Parker was so excited for this day to come! He even used his $20 Christmas money from Grandma and Grandpa Wiscombe to help buy his first suit. We are so proud of him and we love him very much!

New Year 2009

2009-01-01T12:08:00.000-08:00

We said "goodbye!" to 2008 and "hello!" to 2009 by hosting a New Year's Eve party at our house. The combination of food, friends, and hilarious conversation made the hours fly by and before we knew it...the midnight countdown was upon us! Even after ringing in the New Year, we managed to stay awake for an extra hour-and-a-half. Who said old people can't stay up late? hee-hee!! We're looking forward to this new year with hope and optimism and continuing to be thankful for all of the blessings in our lives.

Parker's 8th Birthday

2008-12-29T14:07:00.000-08:00

Parker celebrated his 8th birthday with his family and friends. He had an amazing birthday dinner with his Grandma and Grandpa Healey. We served chicken roll-ups (his favorite), scalloped potatoes, rolls and Sprite :) We finished the evening off with a nice slice of cake! The next day, Parker hosted a sledding party for some of his friends and cousins. The kids all had a blast sliding down the snowy hills near our house. They were all happy to come into the house and warm up with hot chocolate :) Parker was thrilled with his snowboarder birthday cake and loved opening all his gifts. He's one spoiled 8 year old!

Christmas 2008

2008-12-27T19:53:00.000-08:00

Christmas 2008 was wonderful for the Wiscombe family. We enjoyed spending time together and getting spoiled by Santa :) At the end of what's been a challenging year for us, we are grateful for the many blessings in our lives. Above all, we are thankful for the love we share as a family...for our health....for our family and friends...and for the blessing of the gospel of Jesus Christ in our lives. We're hoping 2009 will bring continued blessings and happiness to us.

Micalyn's Fairies

2008-11-21T13:41:00.000-08:00

Last night, Micalyn won an "Excellence" award at her school's Reflections Contest Award Ceremony. She had submitted a painting of a fairy which she titled "With Outstretched Wings" (the theme for Reflections this year was "WOW"). After receiving a request from a friend, I have posted the fairy paintings that Micalyn has made over the past year. One day, she just sat down and painted one and I was so surprised! She has never had an art class in her life. Once she saw how much I liked the first one, she made a few more. She loves painting them, mixing the colors, giving a sense of movement to them. These are all free-hand with no pencil sketching first. I know I sound like a typical "bragging mom" --- but in this case, I just can't help it. I hope these fairies bring a smile to the face of anyone who takes the time to look at them.

Halloween 2008

2008-11-04T12:04:00.001-08:00

Halloween 2008 was a TREAT as always! Parker continued his true-blue devotion to the U.S. military by dressing as an official U.S. Army enlistee. Micalyn thought she'd give the military a try, too. Her "Major Flirt" costume is probably as close to the real military as she'll ever get.
In true Jocelyn form, she wanted to be a princess again this year. She proudly wore the tiara of the "Diamond Castle Princess".

Witches' Night Out 2008

2008-10-28T08:05:00.000-07:00

My friend Almond and I participated in our yearly ritual of dressing up and attending Witches' Night Out at Gardner Village on Friday the 24th. When we arrived, we got witch make-overs complete with green make-up and colored gem warts. After we were thus witchy-ized, we enjoyed an ever-so-delicious dinner at Archilbald's restaurant. YUM-O!!

After gorging ourselves silly at dinner, we browsed through all the nifty shops and mingled with all of the other witches. We topped the night off by singing and dancing to the spooky Halloween tunes and sharing a delicious caramel apple. It was a fabulous night!

Cornbelly's

2008-10-19T15:18:00.000-07:00

Our family had a fantastic Fall time when we visited Cornbelly's on Saturday. As evidenced by the photos on this blog post, the kids enjoyed a variety of harvest-time festivities! My favorite picture here is of "Princess Scarecrow Jocelyn". There was a booth called "Dress a Scarecrow Princess" and it had lots of princess dresses and crowns and, yes, even full wigs! Off to the side were some wooden scarecrows with burlap sack heads and faces painted on them. I believe the objective was to dress up THOSE scarecrows. Alas, in the passion of the moment, most of the little girls were dressing themselves up....not the scarecrows. It was quite a sight to see since the wigs were all full of straw which gave all the little girls a distinctively "farm-ish" look. Jocelyn was not satisfied to just dress up and have her picture taken, though. After her photo shoot with mom, she entered the nearby playhouse castle and climbed to the top turret. Once there, she stuck her head out the window and waved as proudly as any Rapunzel-esque scarecrow princess I've ever seen. She knew she was beautiful! --- straw and all :)
Not pictured here are the panicked and frantic looks on our faces when Jocelyn got lost in the throngs of Cornbelly revelers! So scary! We took our eyes off of her for a second and "Poof!" she was gone. We were running to and fro shouting her name and becoming more and more alarmed and frightened as each minute ticked by. Then, like a voice from heaven, someone announced over the loudspeaker that a lost little girl named Jocelyn was at the information booth. We all breathed a sigh of relief and ran as fast as we could to where she was. Thank heavens for the alert mother who noticed a small girl crying and alone. She reassurred her and took her to the information booth. I could have KISSED that woman!
Also not pictured here are the pig races, the Halloween Egg Hunt in the kiddie corn maze, the Horrible Haunted Beast (Parker and Jocelyn were screaming and crying like it was flu-shot day), the Cornbelly's slides and the amazing JUMPING PILLOW!!
It really got us all in the Fall/Harvest/Halloween spirit.

A List of Eights

2008-10-17T15:28:00.000-07:00

Tagged

I was tagged by Camille. A list of eights.

8 TV Shows I Love to Watch (if I have time)
1. The Office --- oh, the funniness!
2. Criminal Minds (don't act surprised....you should all know by now that I LOVE the creepy, scary, catch-the-psycho shows)
3. Ghost Hunters....I even have a TAPS t-shirt (The Atlantic Paranormal Society)
4.The Amazing Race
5. Survivor
6. Supernatural (uh-huh...it's a creepy one --- but super funny, too!)
7. Cold Case (catching the bad guys again --- but from OLD cases gone cold...Nice!)
8. Ramsay's Kitchen nightmares...I'm addicted!

8 Things that Happened Yesterday
1. I tried to sleep in since it was the first day of Fall Break, but my throbbing finger had me awake popping Tylenol at 6:43 a.m. Grrrrrrr..... As for an explanation of the "throbbing finger" --- I chopped a chunk off of my finger while cutting green onions for Gyoza on family Japanese food night. Owie.
2. I watched an episode of Cold Case before the family woke up.
3. Lazied around the house for a while...checked people's blogs and facebook.
4. Showered and got dressed at about 2:00. Nice. It took me about an hour, too, because of my crippled index finger :( Got re-bandaged.
5. Fell asleep and took a nice (tylenol-induced) nap --- no more throbbing.
6. Took the kids bowling. Score breakdown = Kevin-1st place, JOCELYN-2nd place, Me-3rd place (yes...I was beat by my 5-year old), Micalyn-4th place, Parker-5th place. I think next time I'll use the bumpers and ball ramp.
7. Ate at "Spanky's Diner" for the first time. Food was good, but service was slow and the prices were high. Don't think we'll be going back there.
8. Came home and watched "Ghost Hunters" as a family --- yes, I am turning my kids into creepiness-lovers, too :)

8 Favorite Places to Eat
1. Magleby's Grill and Oyster Bar. I am HOOKED on their wonderful halibut and yummy cranberry rice pilaf!
2. Outback (when we can afford it)
3. Olive Garden
4. Bajio
5. JCW's
6.sundance Foundry Grill (special occasions). Their chicken pot pie is AMAZING!!
7. Sensuous Sandwich --- no better sandwiches anywhere!! I always get the "Almond Special" named after my very own bff, Almond ;)
8. The Training Table.....MMMmmmmm....the hickory dipping sauce is so good, especially when you have a sore throat...it totally burns away the pain.

8 Things I Look Forward To
1. The end of this economic downswing in the country. Enough already.
2. My birthday. I know that sounds selfish, but I really like my birthday :) Especially when there is cake involved.
3. Christmas...I love the WHOLE season!
4. Weekends and vacations.
5. The next time I get to have some Dr.Pepper --- I am such an addict :( Is there such a thing as "DPA" --- Dr. Pepper Anonymous???!!
7. Hot bubble baths
8. New episodes of my favorite TV shows.

8 Things on my Wish List
1. An INSTANT way to lose 20 pounds. I know it doesn't exist, but it doesn't hurt to wish now does it?
2. For my kids and husband to stay healthy and happy...forever.
3. Financial freedom including the opportunity to easily help those in need (I copied this one from Camille)
4. World Peace and I'm not kidding --- not the "answer to a beauty queen question" kind, but the REAL kind of peace....stop the wars and the killing and the fighting.
5. A maid to clean my house (I stole that one from Camille, too. She has such good wishes).
6. Calorie-free, GOOD-TASTING Dr. Pepper...for reals...'cuz Diet Dr. Pepper doesn't cut it.
7. Upper-body strength so I could be a better climber...I'm so whimpy :(
8. To have all of our "pending" property matters end Happily :) (Heber...Mazatlan...Alpine...Elk Ridge)

8 people I tag
1. Teryn
2. Rebecca
3. Lindsay
4. Carola
5. Jill
6. Mignonne
7. Jani
8. Whoever wants to do it :)

I HAVE THE COOLEST PARENTS EVER!!

2008-09-24T13:29:00.000-07:00

Check out my mom and dad gettin' down with their BAD GANGSTA SELVES! My mom was even sportin' a sweet little pout while she dropped a sign --- in front of the Salt Lake temple nontheless! Nobody can tell me my parents aren't with the times :)

How I Made This Page --- a step-by-step tutorial on digital scrapbooking

2008-09-09T09:37:00.000-07:00

Some of you have expressed interest in learning how to do digital scrapbooking. Below I have compiled a "Step-By-Step" process for making a simple spread. I hope I explained myself in a way that will be understandable. Some of the terms I use are unique to "Microsoft Digital Image Pro" which is the software I use for my digital scrapbooking. I'm sure that similar terms are also available in other photo editing software (i.e. PhotoShop).

Step 1: I opened up Microsoft Digital Image Pro and clicked to open a new canvas. Using the "resize canvas" option in the "Format" dropdown menu, I resized the canvas to 12"x12".

Step 2: I browsed through my downloaded Digital Scrapbook pages and kits and found one with the right colors that I wanted for this spread. This one happens to be the "Spring Fling" kit from Digital Design Essentials.

Step 3: I chose three different papers to make the body of my page (a pink, a green, and a multi-colored stripe).

Step 4: Using the "Insert" dropdown menu in Digital Image Pro, I choose "Picture" and "From My Computer", then I navigated to my "Spring Fling" kit and double clicked on the Pink paper to add it. It covered my entire canvas. It became the bottom layer of my stack.

Step 5: I followed the steps in Step 4 and double clicked on the Multi-Colored Striped paper to add it. It covered up my entire canvas (covering the bottom pink paper), so I had to click and move it so that it was taking up the middle-to-bottom-right quadrant of the paper. The multi-colored striped paper then became the second layer in my stack. Next I used the "Format" drop-down menu in Digital Image Pro, I choose "Crop" and "Selected Image". This allowed me to crop the multi-colored striped paper so that it would not be going outside the boundary of my canvas. This is an extra step that I do because it makes it easier to see what my canvas really looks like. In reality, if I left it uncropped, it would be fine because when I printed it out, only the images within the boundary of my canvas will be printed.

Step 6: Next I repeated all of step 5, but this time choosing the Green paper and moving it to take up the skinny space in the middle-to- bottom left section of the paper. The green paper then became the third layer in my stack. I followed the "cropping selected image" instrcutions from Step 5 so that the green paper wasn't going outside the boundary of my canvas.

Step 7: Now I was ready to add my pictures. Using the "Insert" dropdown menu in Digital Image Pro, I choose "Picture" and "From My Computer", then I navigated to "My Pictures" and double clicked on the picture of my kids and the lemonade stand to add it. It covered my entire canvas, so I resized it just by clicking and dragging the corners of the picture until it was the right size. It became the fourth layer of my stack. I positioned it over the multi-colored-striped paper.

Step 8: To add the soft edges to the photo (which is sometimes what I do when I don't want to add a frame), I used the "Effects" drop-down menu in Digital Image Pro and chose "Edges" and "Soft". I adjusted the edge softness to "10" which seemed perfect.

Step 9: Next, I Used the "Insert" dropdown menu in Digital Image Pro and chose "Picture" and "From My Computer". Then I navigated to my "Spring Fling" kit and opened the "Alpha" folder to add the lettering. Here's a nifty hint: To add multiple papers or letters or embellishments to your canvas at ONE TIME, you single-click on the first one you want to add and then hold down the "CTRL" button while you single-click on the other papers or letters or embellishments. It should highlight all of the things you will be adding. Then you click "OK" and it will add all of them at once -- a real time saver! I added all the letters I needed to spell out "LEMONADE STAND". After resizing them to fit, I placed them on top of the pink paper at the top. The letters then became the next stacks on my canvas.

Step 10: Next, I used the "Insert" dropdown menu in Digital Image Pro and chose "Picture" and "From My Computer". Then I navigated to my "Spring Fling" kit and double clicked on the Blue Ric-Rac to add it. I copied and pasted a second stip of Blue Ric-Rac so that I could position the two to cover the transition spots between the three differing colors of paper.

Step 11: Lastly, I used the "Text" drop-down menu in Digital Image Pro and chose "Insert Text" to insert a text box. I resized the text box using the arrows in the corner to make it long and skinny to fit in the space where the Green paper was. Then I found a font that I liked and centered my journaling for the page.

THEN I WAS DONE!!! Woo-Hoo!!

Another tip is to save your project several times while you're working on it. There's nothing worse than spending 30 or 40 minutes on a page only to have a computer glitch or hiccup and lose everything you've worked on. GRRRRRRR!!! While I'm working on the pages, I save them in "Picture It! PNG" format. This allows all of the images in my stack to remain independent so I can manipulate and work with them. When I know I am 100% finished with the page, I go ahead and save it as a "JPEG" since this is the format the Costco and most photo printing places need in order to print your pages.

So, that's how I made my lemonade stand page :) I hope it made sense to you. You can print off my instructions and have them ready for reference the first time you try to make a page.

Here's a list of my favorite digital scrapbooking sites where I get all of my papers and kits. Remember, once you've bought the papers and kits, you can use and reuse them as many times as you like. It's not like hard-copy scrapbooking where once you use a paper, it's gone and you can never use it again. I constantly re-use papers from my kits for different spreads. I love it!

digitaldesignessentials.com - They are having a GREAT sale right now on their CD kits!! 2 CDs full of TONS of papers and kits and themes and embellishments for only $7.49 when the original price was $69.98!!! I would highly recommend these CDs for the beginning digi-scrapbooker who wants to get a great start on papers/alphas/and embellishments for a really great price!

jenwilsondesigns.com
peppermintcreative.com
scrapgirls.com
shabbyprincess.com
twopeasinabucket.com
designerdigitals.com
letteringdelights.com
kaboodle.com
oscraps.com

Scrapbooking!!

2008-09-06T19:03:00.000-07:00

As most of you already know, I am somewhat of a digital scrapbooking geek. With my laptop as a tool, I love creating my 12"x12" spreads! Next to possibly taking a full-body bath in warm Dr. Pepper, I can't think of anything I'd rather do than go on a scrapbooking weekend :) My friend, Kari, and I try to take these trips about every 6 months. We book a local hotel, take our computers, climb into our respective beds, turn on the tv to a chick-flick station and we scrapbook into the wee hours of the morning. We sustain ourselves with ever-so-healthy snacks (almond M&Ms, doughnuts, etc.) and treat ourselves to dinner out each night.

We recently spent a weekend at the Timpanogos Inn in Lehi and were able to complete quite a few pages. Taking a cue from my sweet friend, Lindsay, I have decided to post some of my pages on my blog. Some of these I did on this recent trip and others are from other Kari/Rees scrapbook excursions. So, welcome to my dirty little secret ---- I'm an ADDICT.....a scrapbooking addict!!!

Back to School 2008

2008-08-18T11:56:00.000-07:00

It's still technically summer and 80 degrees outside, but today Micalyn and Parker headed back to Grovecrest Elementary for the 2008-2009 school year. Micalyn is in 5th grade this year and Parker is in 2nd. Go Grizzlies!! Not to be outdone by her older siblings, Jocelyn started her 2nd year at the Funshine Preschool at the P.G. rec center. She loves preschool and literally begs me to let her do homework --- we'll see how long that lasts!

That Girl Can CLIMB!

2008-08-15T12:53:00.000-07:00

The Green wall was a cake-walk for Micalyn (above)
Micalyn stretching it on the blue route (below)

Micalyn WAY up on the blue route

Micalyn working hard on the blue route

Micalyn can FLY!! Taking a rest near the roof of the pink route

Micalyn progressing on the pink route

Micalyn at the top of the "EASY" (her description) green wall

Micalyn "warming up" on the blue kiddie wall (32 foot climb)

Micalyn getting close to the top of the blue holds wall --- a climb that kicked her mom's booty...she made it to the top, though :)

Micalyn and her proud mama!

Micalyn working against gravity to navigate over the "roof" on the pink route --- hold on tight!

Micalyn approaching the first "roof" on the pink route

Micalyn making it over the first "roof" on the blue route

Micalyn about 20 feet up the blue route and still climbing!

Sweaty and tired mom descending after completing the blue holds wall (above).
Micalyn and mom --- enjoying "Girl's Day Out" (below)

Micalyn and mom --- Ready to Climb!!

Micalyn and Almond (an amazing climber!)

Mom and Micalyn --- Goofballs!

Equipped with a harness, rope, climbing shoes and chalk; Micalyn proved something today --- SHE CAN REALLY CLIMB!

My BFF Almond treated us to a "Girl's Day Out" which included lunch at the Pizza Factory, a day of climbing at "The Quarry", and a nice-cold Jamba Juice to top it all off.

Micalyn showed absolutely NO FEAR on any of the walls. She was like a little super-hero up there climbing higher and higher. She was climbing routes that are challenging for adults. She easily out-climbed her mother (very humbling I might add), and at one point, when her sweaty, exhausted mom couldn't make it past a tricky part, she asked, "Mom, do you want ME to do it?" Truth be told, she inspired and amazed her fellow "girls" that day.

The walls she scaled topped off at about 32 feet. That's a full 3 stories! In many spots, she was working hard to get over "roofs" which are slanted sections of the wall. She aced so many of the routes that Almond just kept pushing her to try harder and harder ones. I think the only reason she stopped climbing (after 8 routes) was that her arms and hands just didn't have any juice left.

So - here's a Blogger HIGH FIVE to my 10-year old rock climber. "CLIMB ON!"

She's 5!

2008-08-10T19:03:00.000-07:00

Jocelyn hula'd her way to 5 years old this weekend. Her "Luau" themed party had her grass-skirted guests learning the Hukilau, showing off their crazy hula-hoop skills (Micalyn was the champion), playing a rousing game of "Aloha" BINGO, and splashing gleefully in the neighbor's pool. Oh --- and her Hawaiian Barbie cake was a huge hit! Especially when the frosting turned everyone's teeth and lips GREEN :)

Kevin's 40th Birthday

2008-07-31T17:32:00.000-07:00

Kevin's "Old As Dirt" birthday milestone turned out to be "the best birthday I've ever had" --- direct quote from the old man himself. After a SUPER-DELICIOUS breakfast of Croque Madame's (grilled breakfast sandwiches with ham and swiss cheese, topped with a fried egg and a lightly Dijon-flavored bechamel sauce -- and yes, I can forward you the recipe), we met our friends Almond and Gary at "The Quarry" in Orem to do a little rock climbing. Almond and Gary (and Gary's brother Jeff) are AMAZING climbers...so strong and agile! They showed us the ropes (no pun intended) and we were off! After getting over a case of the jitters, I was able to get more comfortable on the wall and completed 4 different climbs. Kevin was more adventurous than I was and he scaled some of the more complex routes up the wall. I was so proud of him --- you know, being 40 and everything. I thought he might fall off and break a hip, but he managed to come out at the end of the day with no broken bones.

Next, it was off the Mainspring Day Spa for a couples massage :) After the climbing, the one-hour massage was WONDERFUL! I, for one, was surprised at how strong the little lady giving my massage was. WOW! She eats her Wheaties in the morning! She worked me over from head to toe....no muscle was left unattended. Kevin's masseuse was incredible, too. We both left there feeling rejuvenated and pampered.

When we got home, Kevin was met at the door with Micalyn saying, "Dad! Come outside! We found another snake!" (yes, ANOTHER....but that's a different story). Kevin followed her to the backyard where he was COMPLETELY SURPRISED to see many of our friends, neighbors and family members there for a surprise party!! I can't believe I pulled it off! I must give credit here to my amazing friends, Almond and Gary, who did all of the work of setting up for the party while Kevin and I were getting our massages. Almond also supplied the food since she is the owner of the best sandwich shops around...SENSUOUS SANDWICH!!! Everyone ate and chatted and enjoyed the "Old As Dirt"-themed party...even down to the sugar cookies branded with the party theme :)

We were both so happy that our friends and relatives celebrated the day with us. We are so blessed to have such loving, caring, and fun people in our lives.

So - I'm married to an old man now, but I still love him --- gray hairs and all!

24th of July on the Lake!

2008-07-25T16:54:00.000-07:00

Take a 100+ degree day, throw in a boat and some Subway sandwiches and you've got yourself a WINNER, folks! Spending the day on Utah lake with our friends (and neighbors), the Coon's, turned out to be the perfect way to celebrate Pioneer Day! Everyone had a chance to literally "LEAP IN THE LAKE" and swim :) Parker was especially fond of catching air before he hit the water. Micalyn proved to be the best darn knee-boarder of the Wiscombe family, gleefully gliding over the wake and enjoying every bump along the way. In between dips in the lake, mom, dad and Jocelyn enjoyed the ride and the warm air rushing through our hair (okay...only Jocelyn and I enjoyed the air hair-rushing). Kevin must have just felt the air gliding over his nearly-shaved head ;) Not to be left in the boat as a bystander, Parker took a few exhilarating rides on the tube with his friends. We came...we saw....we jumped in and touched the bottom at some spots. Viva water-sports!

FOOD! FUN! and FRIENDS!

2008-07-25T16:28:00.000-07:00

FOOD! FUN! and FRIENDS! All three of those elements were plentiful last Monday night at the Cheesecake Factory. I was thrilled to be able to spend time chatting and reminiscing with 5 of my friends from high school. The conversation ranged from us talking about our silly and care-free days growing up together to us sharing stories about our families, children and plans for the future. At times I found myself feeling like we were all 16 again...ditching school to go grab lunch and gab :) At other times I looked around the table and saw us as our current selves: the beautiful bishop's wife, the independent single mom, the spazzy scout leader, the energetic YW president, the amazing mother of 5, and the happy stay-at-home mom. As different as we had all become since the glory days of the 80's, we had also stayed much the same as we remembered each other. One constant among us was our love for our families and our concern as we watch our children grow and experience life. With one of us getting ready to send her eldest off to college, others just getting adjusted to "teen-aged" kids, and still others with children only in elementary school; it was great to hear advice and stories across the board. More than once it was said, "I hope our kids don't ever do some of the crazy things we did". Sprouting from those comments came talk of how the world now is so different from the world at the time that we were growing up. i.e. not allowing our kids to have sleep-overs at friend's houses, our children not being able to skip classes as easily as we did, the threats of pornography and other addictions (gaming, texting, etc.) that did not exist in our era. Our banter ran the gambit from giggles about playing "nasty" barbies to solemn seriousness on the issue of child abuse. It was an eye-opening discussion and one that left us laughing one minute and then sitting in stunned silence the next. All in all, it was a wonderful night and one I won't soon forget. Thank you, my friends, for being just that --- my friends.

Hike to the Falls

2008-07-21T14:18:00.000-07:00

Today was the perfect day for a hike! Not too sunny, not too cloudy --- but just right :) My friend (and next door neighbor) Kari and I decided to take our kids on the same hike that I went on last week with my scouts. When we reached our destination (the waterfalls) the kids played in the water and we all watched a family of rock climbers do their thing. It was a great way to spend the morning!

More Pics from Heber

2008-07-15T10:59:00.000-07:00

I had to post a few more pics from our Heber Valley Fun-Fest!

Heber Valley Camp

2008-07-15T10:44:00.000-07:00

Here I am....in BLOG-World! This is my first lowly post, so I decided to be low key and just post some pics from our recent venture up to the Heber Valley Camp last weekend. Kevin's parents are serving a mission there and they invited their whole family to come up for dinner and fun on the lake. The scenery was beautiful, the lake was peaceful, and we were able to see some deer and ducks up-close and personal. Kevin and I did most of the work pedaling the pedal boats and paddling the canoes (although our muscle-challenged offspring gave it their best shot). All in all, it was a lovely adventure!