Fall

I think we can officially call it - school has started, the weather is cooling and leaves are turning. Summer is over. :(

After the long, long, looooong winter we had, I was loving the hot weather this summer. Here's to hoping snow only falls between the months of November and March this year. I'm trying to look for the silver lining, so here's my list of things I love about fall:

• Sweatshirts and sweatpants
• Wool socks
• Snuggling with my babies
• Hot tea and carmel apple cider (mmm...Starbucks!)
• Eye makeup inspired by football teams
• My kids in Halloween costumes (sounds like we'll have a paleontologist and firefighter this year)
• Autumn colors
• NaNoWriMo

Okay, so that's the list so far. Goodbye, summer. Until we meet again...

"Hello" Cards

Boy, I've been a busy little crafting bee lately. Well, actually, I've just been really bad about uploading photos. Since today is kinda dreary outside, and I'm sick in bed with some sort of bug (boo!), I figured this is a perfect opportunity to get some stuff off my 'to do' list.

Here are some cards I made, just to say 'hi'.

FYI - if flowers look cut off in any of these pictures, it's because I cropped the photo. In real life, the flowers hang off the edge of the card.

Birthday Cards for the Troops

So, Karen Giron has inspired me to get involved with Operation Write Home. I've got some ideas for getting my fellow local papercrafters involved as well, but for right now, see my contributions to this cause below.

It may not seem like much, but if this is something I can do to show my gratitude and appreciation for the people who risk their lives for my freedom, I'm doing it. I don't care how insignificant it may seem to us; it sounds like it means something to them.

My First Entry

I'm entering my first "Sketch Challenge". Karen at the sweetest thing... posts a weekly card-making challenge, but I've never actually participated. This week, however, I was inspired by more than just Karen's adorable sketch and example.

Here's what Karen posted that piqued my creative interest:

"The extra challenge this week is to create a birthday card and mail it to Operation Write Home and they'll send our challenge cards on to those men and women who are serving in the armed forces."

Thanks, Karen, for introducing me to Operation Write Home. I'm so excited to start creating handmade cards for our awesome troops!

Oh, and here's my entry:

One Year Down, One to Go

School is back in session, and while we are celebrating several important school-related milestones in this house, there is one that brings a sense of giddy anticipation: my husband has hit the halfway mark in his MBA program. That's right - he has two semesters left. Two semesters, albeit, of difficult work, long nights, study-filled weekends, and, for me, weeks filled with higher-than-usual hours of single-parenthood. Two semesters, and then we're freeeeee!!

Now, I know it's totally selfish of me to be so excited as I daydream about our lives a year from now. I promise, I love my family, and would (ahem, do) sacrifice my own hopes, dreams and desires in order to do what's best for them. I know my primary role as a mother is to chauffer, manage schedules, help with homework and piano practice, watch sports practices and games, and maintain our house's level of cleanliness. I know it and I love it. But I am excited for the day when I'm not trying to figure out how to be in two places at once; knowing that, as the kids get older and get involved in more activities, I won't have to juggle activities alone, or ask my parents to help out once again, helps get me through the day.

I also know I'm not alone in this eager anticipation. It's tough for my hubby to miss out on activities because he has homework or group meetings; it's tough on the kids when he's not able to put them to bed or take them to soccer practice. May 2011, we can't wait to see you - we shall ring you in with fanfare like no other month of the year!

I feel guilty for even thinking this way, let alone admitting it to the world at large, but here goes: I am looking forward to the freedom that will be added to my own schedule in a year. The freedom to spend more time writing, reading, hitting the gym, working on albums and creating cards, and maybe, just maybe, taking a dance class or two a week. When I don't have to squeeze 65 minutes out of every hour, when I don't have to feel guilty for leaving the boys at home with their dad when he has tons of homework. When I don't have to feel guilty for asking for help, even though I know the others in my life are just as burdened.

It will be glorious. But it's still 9 months away...