My Sweet 16

The day is finally here for Alexa, the day she has been counting down to for about 3 months, maybe even longer. My little girl is turning Sweet 16. She has grown into a smart, funny, pretty, lovable young lady and that makes my eyes glisten just a little bit. Not because I am sad...but because my heart is filled with joy. I am so proud of who she has become and has yet to be. She's the typical teenage girl in every way...but underneath it all, she is a sweet and caring person that people love to be around!

In true Mommy fashion, I got my kicks by going through old pictures last night so that I could make a picture collage of photos of her to put on FB for all her friends to see. She could think it's funny...she could be a little mad (more embarrassed). Could go either way. It's one of those mommy duties you know. Everyone needs to see that she has ALWAYS been as adorable as she is today! The way I see it, at least I didn't include the photos of her in just her diaper or the one of her in the bathtub making a ridiculous face. I was kind.

She wanted Funfetti cupcakes as her birthday treat for her friends so Grace and I got busy last night and took care of that. They turned out pretty cute I must say. Anything with sparkles has Grace written all over it!

So, it's a bittersweet day for the mom but that will give way soon enough. At least she's not 18 and leaving home. Whoa!!



Alexa then.

 

Alexa now.




Grace and the Sweet 16 Cupcakes!

Have a great day!

Michelle





And....it's a WIN!

The Green Bay Packers win the Superbowl! That's pretty darn cool and exciting. Even better, Dan's heart remains intact. Here are a few photos from the Superbowl Photo Shot from yesterday. Sammy boy is in a pink Favre jersey with a black "X" over the number 4. (Sorry Sammy). Dan and Grace are all smiles, of course, sporting their green and gold jerseys.

I cannot wait to scrapbook these photos!
Michelle



One Long Week

A sick little girl, a blizzard, and FREEZING cold temps makes for a long week! On the other hand, a clean house, a snow day, cardmaking time, baking time, and finishing my book The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo (ahead of schedule I might add) are the silver lining. This book was incredibly good, so good that I found myself sneaking in a few pages with my morning coffee. Yes, it was that good! Thanks to my friend I am into the second book of this trilogy, The Girl Who Played With Fire. Just as good so far. I am very much enjoying getting lost in a good book again!!

Today is the big day, Super Bowl Sunday. Daddy bought his little girl her first-ever Packer apparel, a Clay Matthews #52 jersey, complete with...hard to believe I know... BLING. He knows her so well! Both she and Daddy are quite proud of their jerseys. Dan got his first Packer jersey, Aaron Rogers #12, in November and has worn it loyally ever since. I've been advised that I never get to wash it (so he thinks). He's looking forward to a photo op today with them sporting their fabulous duds. Will share. We are looking forward to the Super Bowl party with our friends later today. Good times, good food, good friends...that has to count for something right?!?

We are into the third week of puppy class and things are going great. Sammy is a star pupil and well on his way to being whipped into a tip-top Goldendoodle. He still has his moments but I think he and Grace make each other naughty sometimes...Dan keeps asking when the child training class begins!

So, this week my 2nd baby, Alexa, turns Sweet 16. Am I ready for that? Absolutely not. Am I happy for her? Most definitely! (I remember the feeling, kind of.) She's been counting down the days since...I cannot remember when she started giving me the # of days but it's been a while! It's just so hard to believe. Another one growing up right before my eyes. Between her and Grace, I think I have this realization every other week! Our daughter Eve also celebrates her birthday this week so at least we have some high points amidst these LONG winter days. My LONG nights will officially begin on February 14th when Sweet 16 becomes a legal driver. Yikes!

So, as I wrap this up, I look outside to see it snowing...again. Just think Spring...

And remember~GO PACK GO!
Michelle

Weekend Wrap-Up

Ahhhh...Sunday has arrived...and I'm having mixed feelings here! On one hand, I am sad that it is Sunday, the end of the weekend, back to work tomorrow. On the other hand, I am EXCITED because it's football Sunday...Packers vs. Bears Sunday to be exact. As I write this, my husand is heading down the stairs, the chanting is about to begin and it's only 7:00 a.m....still seven (maybe long) hours until kickoff.  I've already warned Grace.

After a long week of dealing with the flu, a weekend with no obligations was a welcomed change. No rushing, no real commitments. Watched a movie (Social Network), did some reading (making good progress in The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo), returned to the gym, planned my sunday school class, surfed and blogged a little, and maybe today I'll get some house stuff done.

Grace and I went to see the movie Tangled yesterday. Absolutely adorable, highly recommend! Dan, Grace and I took Sammy to his first puppy obedience class and he made us proud (of course). He was the only one in the class that did not poop! Grace also seems to have absorbed what the instructor was telling us during the course of the class as she is now correcting Dan and I at home. I have to hold back my chuckles because she is right, she gets it. This training is not so much for Sammy but for all of us. And, it's a family affair and that makes it twice as enjoyable. Sammy is just not a "pet", he is part of our family so it will be good for us to learn how to spoil him...the right way!

Daily life is slowing returning to our normal. Our Costa Rican Exchange student Bryan left on Tuesday and made it back home safe and sound, thankfully and my all-grown-up Chelsea returns to college today. This week is going to seem pretty tame compared to the last three! It's back to Dan, Grace, Alexa, Sammy and I.

Now I'm off to start our Sunday and the countdown...Go Packers!!

Have a great one!
Michelle

Photo for the day...



Sammy sporting a pink Favre jersey.
For today, we will imagine it as a green and gold #12!
If the Packers end up Super Bowl bound,
he gets a new green and gold to call his own!



Gift Exchange Layout

The Nommensen family Christmas can get pretty crazy. We have three gift exchanges, in one night- young, young adult, and adult. For each age group, everyone brings a gift and places it in the middle. Then each person picks a card (1 through ??) and gets to pick a gift when it is their turn. You can then swap your gift with someone else's and inevitably someone ends up with a gift that they do not want. Whatever happens, it is always fun and entertaining.

I wanted to do some layouts highlighting a few of the great photos from our family christmas so I decided to join in the fun over at Two Peas in a Bucket and partake in the January class, Products You Love Every Which Way with Shannon Tidwell where this month the featured product to use on a layout is border stickers. Here is the digital layout I created using some cute digital products by Cherie Mask, Rhonna Farrer, and Jen Martakis, including digital papers, digital brushes, a template and borders. Two Peas in a Bucket offers an awesome selection of digital kits, including a ton of fantastic freebies. I still very much love my traditional scrapbook papers, however, the beauty of digital products is that I pay for them once (or get freebies) and then get to use them over and over again, in many different ways!

Sketchy Thursdays Guest Design Team Member Challenge

New year, new ideas. Another one of my goals for 2011 is to (hopefully) get more scrapbooking layouts completed, 1-2 per month would be nice. Luckily, I discovered the site Sketchy Thursdays. This is just what I need to get me motivated...new and fresh ideas that inspire me sit down and scrapbook, even if it is just one page at a time. They are having a February Guest Design Team Member Challenge where they provide the sketch and you submit a completed layout following the sketch. If your layout is chosen as the winner, then you win a fabulous scrapbooking kit full of new goodies (that I didn't have to buy) plus the opportunity to be a Guest Design Team Member for a month. Not sure what guest design team members do, but I'm sure it's fun! I've never done anything like this before and I figure I have nothing to lose. If anything, I completed a new layout and that makes me happy! Here is the layout that I did...

Sketchy Thursday Sketch



My Layout: Have I Told You Lately?
Featuring products by My Mind's Eye, Designs by Reminisce, Daisy D's, American Crafts, Bazzill, Tim Holtz, and Etsy.

Wish me luck!!


Last Weekend

So, we are heading into the final weekend with our Costa Rican exchange student, Bryan. It has been a wonderful experience and we have very much enjoyed hosting him as Alexa's brother. They have gotten along so well which has led to this being such an awesome thing. He has warmed up to our home and family, even Callie and Sammy. Grace and Chelsea have also enjoyed him. They can all be quite chatty! It has been interesting hearing about the two different cultures, both similarities and the differences. He says he really likes it here and is grateful that he was chosen as one of the exchange students. (We are too!) He has come to think that the snow is "pretty" and has even gotten somewhat used to the cold temperatures. While on one of their shopping trips he bought himself a new iTouch (they are like $500 in CR!) and he came home beaming. He has used it non-stop to chat with his friends and family. I am glad that he has been able to stay in touch with his family. Thank goodness for Facebook and home wireless! He attended the Nommensen Family Christmas - I believe "that's crazy" was how he described it afterwards. Yes, indeed. I don't think he has family get-togethers like that! We are going to miss him and hopefully some day we can visit his country and family. Alexa is already planning her trip!

Looking right at home with Sammy and Chelsea



Watching Alexa and Chelsea play the Wii.



Nice and cozy...a blanket is required in our house!

Observing one of the three Nommensen gift exchanges.

One Chillin' Dog

I never really thought much about dogs and their personalities...until Sammy. He is our 6-month old Goldendoodle and he has it all. Maybe it's still the puppy in him. One minute he can be driving you crazy, the next minute you find him simply irresistable. It must be love!

Need to Read

I have such a hard time getting through an entire book that I just give up and never finish one! I try to read in the evening but I end up falling asleep into the first page so my goal for 2011 is to read all three books in the Stieg Larrson trilogy. It will take me all year that is for certain. I am into the second chapter now of The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo. I am also listening to an audiobook called Little Bee which I downloaded onto my iTouch. I listen to it while walking our goldendoodle, Sammy. I was not sure if I would like an audiobook but I do. It's a nice change from my music playlists. Time flies by and my walks are getting longer!

Christmas...Here and Gone

And then it was Christmas, so much to do, so little time, it's all such a blur. Spending QUALITY time with my family and SLOWING down were things I wanted to do most this year. All of our celebrations were pleasant, not rushed, and full of love and laughter. Christmas morning never gets old...no matter how old you are. It's magical for the kids. It's magical for Santa.

Those Christmas morning smiles still melt my heart...no matter how old they get!