Time, Love, and Craftiness

So admit it, I used to listen to Michael Bolton.  I have no idea why the song popped in my head when I was trying to come up with a title for this blog.  I knew I wanted to do something for other people and of course, my one and only recourse is to make something crafty.  I wish I could make other things like scarves or jewelry, but I am limited to 2 "talents" (for lack of a better word) writing and scrapbooking - and I don't know what people would think if I showed up with a book in hopes of making them smile...so cards it is.

So with a little time, a lot of love, and a sprinkle of craftiness, this is what I made yesterday....

 A handful of Thanksgiving cards and a head start on Christmas cards!!!  It was a much needed break from writing, and in the spirit of Thanksgiving, I am grateful that I am able to make cards and even more thankful for the friends and family I give them to!!

A year and a half, sixty-five dollars, and a dream....

Well I am sure it was more than $65, especially if you take into account all of my time.  But then again, can you put a dollar value on a dream?  There was something special about today.  Besides the fact that I got to send off my manuscript along side a friend who was doing the same thing; there was something different - and it makes me smile. No matter the outcome, no matter if I get rejected (like the odds tell me I will) there is something to be said for going after something as difficult as getting published.

As Erika was writing down the address her hand was shaking.  I wrote it as fast as I could so I wouldn't second guess it!  The point is that we were both really nervous and yet we can now say that we have taken another step towards our dream.

So here's the silly picture Erika took of me at the post office (you know the one that someday, when I am published, I will look back and laugh at!)

 
And why does it look like I am laughing?  Because behind Erika (taking the picture) there is a line of random people trying to figure out what two grown women were doing taking pictures at the local post office!  Dorks!

So here's to a year and a half, sixty-five dollars and a dream!

PS. A special note of thanks to Erika's son Bashi - without his entertaining stories of a surprise party he was throwing himself, I would have probably peed my pants from being so nervous!  And yes Bashi, I hope Batman shows up to your party!

15 years of Mayhem

Today, fifteen years ago - WAY back in 1996 - Jason and I were married.  It's funny to remember that time frame, when we didn't have soccer, football, school functions, a house, or even "real" jobs.  We may not have had all the things that consume our time now, but we had each other.

We have "grown-up" together, we have watched each other uncover who we really are; all while doing it together. I am not saying that it has been long, straight, paved road - more like a gravel, pot-hole ridden version of Lombard Street in SF.  But the point is, that with time I have come to see that the Tight End for the Tualatin Timberwolves is more than just a football player, more than a Marine, more than a contractor - he's the father of my children, and my soul mate.

I am proud to say that I am Mrs. Moxley!!

And yes, I will always be Mox's girlfriend - no matter how much it annoyed me in High School to be the nameless girlfriend of Jason Moxley :)

I Love You J

Love Always and Forever (LAAF)
Toni


  

Scrap-down

Ok, it was a meltdown.  A really, really, totally unnecessary, tantruming two-year old meltdown.  And it was mine.  I hate to admit the fact that it was mine AND it was aimed at the boys who were trying to HELP me!  Ugh.  Bad-mom-of-the-day award is hereby humbly accepted by me!

It started out as something exciting - getting another year's worth of scrapbooking done and in it's final resting place.  I love this moment, when I get it all stuffed in the book and put it on THE SHELF -you know the one - the one that no one notices and barely glances at when they walk by.  But still they are done and I am finally catching up - there is no greater feeling!

So as with the last scrapbook I had to enlist the services of one of the boys because there are so many pages that I can't hold them down and still stuff more in - I only have 2 hands!!!  (it's an old wives tale that mom's have 4 -8 hands!) Well, to say the least it wasn't going very well and I was starting to loose it.  I barked at the boys to "Back away" and took a deep breath.  One of those breaths that whispers in your ear that you being totally stupid and you need to settle down.

So I TRIED to settle down.  But it didn't work out very well.  By try 4 or 5 (in a moment like that I tend to loose count) I had all three on the floor with me trying to stuff the pages in.  Finally, we had all but 1 page in and then someone's finger slipped and Mt. St. Not-good-mom blew up!  I took the whole book and threw it on the floor and yelled at all of the boys to get away.

Yep, I know.  Wonderful moment.  In all the chaos and anger Kole looked at me and asked, "Why don't you just have a Part 1 and Part 2?"   I just sat there for a second laughing to myself - of all the things to bring me back to reality, it was Kole and Harry Potter.  I am betting that is where Kole got the idea of Part 1 and 2,  from HP and the Deathly Hollows movies.

And so, for the first time the Moxley Family scrapbooks has 2 books for one year!  Thanks to the boys and the ever so trustworthy Harry Potter!

 

A S:)cial Experiment

I can't really say why I thought to do this, I just felt as if I needed to.  About a week ago I was thinking that sometimes we all just need a smile - a real one, a sincere one, an anonymous one.  As odd as it sounds there was one lady in particular that I thought I should do this for.  We have never really talked but I see her around every so often - most of the time she looks like she could really use a smile (or perhaps a few extra hours in the day).
I knew that I wanted to make something that would make others smile and leave it for them to find.  I came up with a little card and a little saying I thought would make people smile and then a grand idea came to me.  What if the boys helped me?  What a great lesson to teach them - that they can make someone's day just by giving them a simple little card, asking for nothing in return.  So that's what we did...

We played "Sunshine Samurai" for a day. On the back it reads "Sunshine comes in many different forms, making someone smile is only one."  Hoping it would make people smile :)

We picked certain people we thought might need someone "sunshine" or people who have given us a lot of "sunshine" in the past.  It was hilarious to watch Kyle and Kaleb try to "sneak" up to people's front doors - most of them were home so it wasn't exactly easy but they managed it! I also gave them each 1 to hand out to a total stranger!  I really didn't think they would do it; I know I would have a hard time.  But I was amazed as I watched Kyle.
We were at Kohl's, school clothes shopping, and I told them to look for people who look sad or just "not happy" - those are the people that need it the most.  So Kyle ran up to me and grabbed one out of my purse and pointed out a little old lady that was shopping near by.  She was bent over her cart, her body looked to be failing her.  Kyle walked up to her, his cheeks nearing the same color as his hair, and handed her the card. She asked what it was and he replied (really, really quietly) "it's something to make you smile - read the back"  The lady flipped it over, read it, and stood there for awhile, not really sure what to do.  As Kyle walked away (ok, almost running from shear embarrassment) the lady watched him, smiled, and said "thank you".
We went about our shopping as if nothing had happened.  In the checkout line Kyle said, "Mom, that lady really liked that card, hugh?"  He had a huge smile on his face.
Then in the car I heard him trying to convince Kaleb to do one (which he never did, but he did leave it on someone's doorstep) and was telling Kaleb, "It makes you feel really good inside."

Ahhhh....  I love days like this.

Now, I know that there a few of you that read my blog and happened to get one.  I really didn't want to ruin the idea of it being anonymous, which is why I waited to post this until later.  But it you happen to run into someone else who got one, please don't tell them who it was, just let them enjoy it :)

The CAMP in SCAMP!

Believe it or not, I finally found the time to blog about the OTHER half of Scamp - I know, I know, the camping part is what the boys will remember the most.  It's the life experiences they will treasure...blah, blah, blah - we all know I do it for the scrapbooking.  I'll be the first to admit that's why I go and yet it is the blah, blah, blah stuff that really makes Scamp, well Scamp!  

 It's the fact that even when you get heat exhaustion you have someone to look after you...

 It's being able to stay up late and read your favorite book by the campfire...

 It's having hot cocoa EVERY morning with your best friends...

 It's being able to do belly flops in the Toutle River...

 It's being able to jump over your brother's head when you think your mom isn't looking...

 It's discovering that you CAN save the tadpoles....

 It's about working together...

 It's about enjoying the sweet things in life - EVERY night...

 It's about throwing your mom a little wink when she's taking the 9,999,999th photo...

And it's definitely all about taking the time to float down the river with the three most amazing boys in the whole wide world!!!

Scrapbooking + Camping = Scamp

With how much I talk about Scamp you'd think it was an official scrapbooking retreat.  Well for me it is.  It is my favorite time of the year.  For anyone who doesn't know, and hopefully wants to know, Scamp is just as the title implies.  The boys and I head up to Toutle, Washington with a friend of mine and her two kids.  It is here that the kids get to camp, swim in the river, and eat smores every night!  While my friend and I scrapbook at every free moment.  Which we noticed this year, was less than we thought.  (We are very excited for the years to come, when the kids can cook their own meals...ahh I can see it now, they can put up the tents, cook, clean...they'll never even know we are there!)
This year I managed to scrapbook 44 (2-page) layouts (so 88 pages) which was an entire year!  I was very excited!  Here are a few of my favorites:

 This is a layout I used from a class I took at the CK Convention (It's mine and Jason's cruise photos)

This is my favorite.  This was a silly trip to a hat store in Seaside!! 

 Another layout of a different class that I was able to use

 I love this one.  The smores stick is actually a stick I found at Scamp!

This is one of my favorite titles.  It's hard to see in the photo but some of the trees pop up.  

Well this was the first installment of the Scamp blogs.  I am sure there is only so much people can take in one visit (plus I'm tired - the kids' photos can wait! hehehe)