Happy New Year!

Welcome to the NEW EightCrazy! I hope you like my new look! I've been working really hard on it! I just wanted to have something really fun, bright and cheerful! Plus I wanted to try out some new things I've been learning and some new fonts I just purchased! I was looking over my blog posts from the past year and realized that I did not post even ONE creative idea for ya'll....so I'm going to try and be better about that in the New Year! Which means I have to get creative!!!

May you all have a very blessed New Year!

See ya next year!

I'll be back after the new year......with a whole new look!!!

Even More Winter Fun!

Many of you commented on our "perfect snowman"
How do you get a perfect snowman....you must have a Type A husband who literally went in and chizeled the snowman with a knife until the shape was perfect! So....it's the hubby that gets the glory for that one!



This first picture is for LeeAnn....this was taken on Sunday before the round of snowfall after the ice....
This is my little Dare Devil......



This is my BIG Dare Devil......

The snow is so powdery that it just FLIES up in your face when you are going down the hill...It's so much fun!

Winter Fun!

**** Arctic Blast ****

According to the news we are experiencing an ARCTIC BLAST! And since we are experiencing an ARCTIC BLAST the only logical thing to do is to have the news on about the weather ALL DAY LONG!!!! Now, when the news is on ALL DAY about the snow there are so many "very interesting" news stories to watch. I mean I just can't get enough of those reporters showing me how their shoes slip on the ice, or how deep the ruler is going into the snow. And PLEASE can I watch that reporter show me how to put snow chains on again...even though I didn't really get to see how since his head was in the way of the camera the whole time! Oh and if I don't get to see the news reporters one more time with their big fury parkas on...well, I just might get depressed if I couldn't see that some more!

AHHHHH! The news is driving me crazy! Is it just where I live or do ALL the newstations around the country do these same stupid things and make everything a bigger deal than it needs to be?

News people....please go away and let me watch the View tomorrow!

Ouch!

I spent the majority of the day in BED. For some reason I woke up and my lower back was totally tweaked. It got worse as the day went on and soon I was laid up in bed. It's not that I couldn't walk..nothing that bad...just that it hurts when I do. But then again it hurts just sitting here right now. I'm hoping that when I wake up tomorrow morning the pain will have magically disappeared the same way it magically appeared this morning! Oh pain....please go away. And if any of ya'll want to send a prayer my way....I'll take it!

Can I get an AMEN!!!

Some of you...the locals....probably knew that my dad has been searching for a job for SEVERAL months now! Can you imagine...in todays market...and at the age of sixty-something! It's been a tough road..but I'm so excited to announce that my dad has BEEN HIRED! I'm thinking it's not proper to mention the company online...so I won't! But we are all super excited for him and very proud of him! Congratulations DAD! And THANK YOU LORD for your provision for my parents over the last several months.

oh...and my dad reads my blog daily...so don't ya'll dare think about clicking out of here without sending some congrats or encouragement his way!!!

Answers part 4....

Anonymous said:
Tell us what is the number one thing you love about your husband. (gee I wonder if my husband asked this question?)

The think I love most about my husband is that he truly tries to honor God. He seeks to have God sit on the thrown of his heart and because of that he allows himself to molded and shaped by God's hand. I'm a lucky woman to have a husband who really loves the Lord and seeks to honor God with his life!

Trish said...

If you were planning a "date night" for you and Todd, what would it include?

If Todd plans date night for the two of you what does it include?

Seriously we are kind of boring date night people. It usually consists of dinner and a movie, or dinner and then somewhere else for dessert. Or dinner and walk along the waterfront.

You have often spoken of finding hope for your once troubled marriage. Would you care to share how the healing happened and where you are at now?

Healing happened after many years of simply being roommates. Years of accepting less than God desired for our marriage. Things finally came to a head through circumstances that I choose not to get into in this public of a setting.....but God ultimately saved our marriage. When it seemed to the world that walking away would be the easiest thing to do...instead we turned to the Lord. And we turned to the people in our lives that we trusted to speak the truth of God's word into our lives. Looking back a key word that stands out is OBEDIENCE. When we read God's word and knew that he was speaking to us...we acted in obedience. When God put people in our lives who spoke the truth of God's word to us...we acted in obedience. Being still...reading God's word...listening and being obedient is what allowed us to experience God's healing. And through that Healing we experienced God's Grace and God was glorified! God restored our marriage and made it new, and stronger than it EVER had been previously. We fell in love again and we now have a new outlook on marriage. We don't just sit back and let it happen. We do our best to be pro-active within our marriage. Preventative maintenance...so to speak. We know how bad it can get and we are resolved to never let it get to that point again. So does this mean that there are never bad days...or bad seasons...NO. But now we recognize them and do something about them....instead of just letting satan win by slowly killing our marriage. WE FIGHT...and GOD FIGHTS FOR US!
I LOVE MY HUSBAND!!

Christmas Party Time

On Friday I hosted our Churches staff christmas party at my home. Every year there is a team of volunteers who get together and throw this party to honor our hard working church staff. It was a sit down dinner for 43 people. I didn't have anything to do with the food. That was all the volunteers. I just got my house all decorated for christmas, set the tables and all that fluffy stuff. It was great fun! I'm not posting people pics because I didn't ask permission...but here are some pics of the food and the surroundings!

answers....part 3

Tamara said...

What do you want for Christmas?

Do you have more than one tree in your house - like a theme fancy tree and a kid ornament tree?

Are you and your dad as close as you and your mom?

What is your favorite beverage?

I'm not sure what I want for christmas. I guess I kind of already got it. I've been wanting to set up a "walking workstation" and we just put it together last week. I'm using it for the first time today. I'm currently...as I type on the computer...walking at a slow pace on my treadmill. I have a wall mounted computer monitor above my treadmill that doubles as a tv for when I actually workout on the treadmill. This way I'm not just sitting on my butt all the time!

Yes, I have two trees. One is fake with multi colored lights with all of our family ornaments. The kids mainly do the decorating on that one. Then I have my pretty tree with white lights....and I do the decorating on that one. Now, I'm not saying that multi colored lights aren't pretty. I'm just saying I prefer white! My family tree is alreay up. My pretty tree...not yet. This week though!

My dad and I have a unique bond because in HS my folks were separated and I lived with my dad for 4 years. My sis left for college at that same time. So for 4 years it was just the two of us in the house. We at times can fine ourselves in TEARS of laughter and nobody else has a clue as to what is so funny! I love it. I'm also proud to say that my parents are BOTH awesome role models about what it means to make a marriage work. They have been back together for the last 16 years!!! In a few days they will celebrate their 39th wedding anniversary!

my favorite beverage.....I guess it's caffeine free diet soda. I'm not picky!


~Rhonda from Minnesota
Where would your favorite place to live be?
I've always wanted to live in Texas. I love how Texans have the attitude of Go BIG or Go HOME! They are die hard loyalists and I love that!!!

I would love to see more of your new house pictures, and more of your crafts.
I will post some more house pics this week.....of it decorated for christmas

How do you girls organize your "girls getaways"?
We all take turns hosting it. It is always on the same weekend of the month of September. If it is your turn to host then you are also suppose to share a hobby or pass time of yours with the group. So we can experience a little bit of your life!

Thank you for letting us share in your life.
SURE!

More Answers...kind of....

Well a few of you asked for some new creative ideas. Sadly these days I don't really have any...or more to the point I don't take the time to do them. Most of my creativity gets channeled into my blog designs. However I've pulled up an archive post from last christmas with a great gift wrapping idea that I had time for a year ago!



Since I don't have any I'll point you in the direction of a few....
Jenni has a great tutorial on how to make these beautiful paper snowflake stars with your kids.


Emily has a great tutorial on how to make the cutest paper ornaments. You could totally do it with your kid!


Beckie over at Infarrantly Creative has a fabulous tutorial for how to make a fabric envelope for all of you budget minded gals who use the envelope system


There you have it....they aren't all mine...but they are CREATIVE!

Some Answers

Here are the answers to a few of the questions. I will do more later this week!

Jennifer P. said...

alright--this one's about as nosey as it gets, but i've been DYING to know how much you make with your blog design business? I stil feel partly responsible for its establishment, and just wondered if it's paying for more than an occasional new pair of shoes :).

You did say ask ANYTHING!

Ok Jenn....way to get down to the nitty gritty! I've always been one who has no problem talking openly about mooolah...but some people think it's tacky...so I will try to have some tact here. Let's just say that my income is able to contribute to the household budget these days. I'm a bargain shopper...so yes, I could buy LOTS of shoes from Target. You definitely get some of the credit girlfriend!!!

annaliese said...

ooh fun! I'll play! If you could be anywhere, with anyone--where and who would it be? :)

Yes...Texas with Beckie would be fun....but I'm gonna have to choose......ITALY with my handsome hubby!!! Yes, I could've given the "with Jesus...anywhere" answer...but I went with the more practical one here!

lee ann said...

If you have one entire day to yourself, what's your favorite way to spend it?

First I would sleep in until like 10:30 or 11:00 (which is what I do on Saturdays by the way!) Then the rest of my day would consist of something creative (designing), shopping, and a favorite TV show. That's what I like to do if I'm all by myself for a day! Kind of boring...but that's it!

I will answer more tomorrow...or maybe even later tonight!