Busy
I've noticed that when life gets the busiest, my ever present planner does not reflect my life accurately - and the same goes for my blogs!

The busier I am, the less I blog (which only makes sense) but my planner entries also dry up.

Looking back I see these huge blank spots, days and weeks of what looks like vacation - no entries, no appointments, no notes. I haven't fiugred out if this is a bad thing, yet.

You would think that when I am swamped that I could benefit from some organization, some lists of things the need to get done. Or, is it that I am running from one thing to the next so fast that the time it takes to sit and think and write it all down is a luxury I cannot afford. Either that or it's too scary a prospect to actually look at it all. I just might have to give up if I were to see it all in print!

All that to the side, have to update here because  . .  well, just because.

Writing Conference

The Writing and Illustrating or Young Readers Conference was AWESOME! If you are a writer, are getting started or just want to make those all important connections that are vital to getting published, you should not miss this one-of-a-kind event. There is not another conference I know where you get to spend 4 hours every day for a week with only 12 other students and a highly qualified published teacher/published author. Martine Leavitt is amazing! Seriously read Keturah and Lord Death, you will see why I am in awe.


Fabric Arts Boutique

Closely following the conference (as in that Saturday) the Orem Library held it's first annual Fabric Arts Boutique. This was a starter year, and things did not happen like I dreamed, but if you didn't score some incredible fabric and textile deals you really missed out. I don't think we can pull those kinds of deals off again. My pocketbook is not happy, but my little crafter soul is.

Plus, we raised funds for the Center for Story along with educating the public with exactly why we need to build onto the library.

Rock Canyon Literary

Next, The Rock Canyon Literary Agency L.L.C. is officially 'outed'. We've opened up submissions, although it's still fairly restrictive--we have high expectations from our clients--we will accept proposals for representation,we've got Facebooking and Twittering started (albeit, not a lot of chatter going on yet) and...of all things (I know, huge run-on sentence going on here) we are brainstorming having an editors conference next February.

After all, it's the editors that authors want to connect with right? It's great authors that editors want to find too. What if we were able to bring the best of the best together each winter in conjunction with what happens at the Timpanogos Midwinter event? What would you (as a professional storyteller, prospective children's author) want from a conference--to get published, right? Let's see what we can make happen shall we? Keep watching!

Writing Librarian

Last - I've been madly writing and planning and working, I even posted in The Writing Librarian. Not a lot, but some updates and a little back story/side story from the novel.

Oh, can't forget the 'regular' stuff!

ie: The FOURTH of JULY!!

It was some fishing and relaxing at the cabin . . .

 Uh oh, Lex has one . . .

Did I ever mention I'm a bit squeamish when it comes to touching the fish?


Not going over there again! No thanks. I'll stay on  this side and just watch from now on.

Caught a few of this little imp - must have been  read too many frog princess stories or something, she was KISSING the worms!

Utah has new fireworks laws - kids in a candy shop, not that I got any of THOSE pictures. Justin did tho'...I'll post when he uploads :)

Ta for now!

Time Flies doesn't it?

How did your Christmas go? We had snow, snow ...

and more snow!

We tried to keep it simple, we all headed down south to the canyon and had a Cabin Christmas! Paper chains, popcorn and paper snowflakes on the tree. We didn't go overboard on the gifts, just spent time together - it was a nice change of pace.

The kids LOVED being able to walk right out the door and sled down the hill, taking hot cocoa breaks as needed. I think we've started a new tradition. We even had Sm'ores around the campfire on Christmas night.

I think I managed to get some great snapshots that I'll get to scrapping - ya think?

Okay, so it has been LONG time no Blog - What else is new?

It's JANUARY!!!

What HAVE I been doing? Well, besides the Holidays, going back to work and submitting my picture book to an agent!?

Yep, I did it. Now I just wish I could reach into the mail and pull it back. It's so hard to let it go out into the big wide world. What if it gets lost in the slush pile, what if he doesn't like it? I can't possibly think I'll get published can I? What was I thinking??!!

So how many of you are into goal setting and the whole New Year Resolutions thing?

I have to admit that I'm not big on the whole it's-January-set-your-goals kind of girl. On the other hand I do set goals, write them down (I swear there is some kind of magic that happens when you WRITE your goals, before you know it, it seeems that they happen) and work on obtaining them. Just not in January. It's like going to the gym in January, it's freakin' crowded in there! I prefer to achieve my goals alone, quietly and most of all, not because of peer pressure.

Well, I have a LOT of catching up to do, check out all your blogs - I can't wait to see what you all are up to for "oh-9"!

Stock Parade!

Well, I totally forgot about the Annual Lehi Rodeo Days parades starting tonight! Three parades in three days, Horse parade tonight, Children's Parade tomorrow night and Big Float Parade Saturday morning. Rodeos all three nights too.

Photo Op sooner than I thought :)



The Haul!


Lex is currently experiencing her first Rodeo right now. The tickets sold out while I was parking the truck. Good thing Grandpa E and Lex made it in :) Now I get avoid the hard seats, heat and dust and just pick them up at the gate at the end! Couldn't have planned it better if I had tried!

p.s. I knew I should try to go when, after I asked Lex if she wanted to go to the Rodeo and she asked, "What's a Rodeo?" - that's MY kid asking that! I've not only been, but rode in the rodeos! Holy cow, I have totally neglected teaching my child about her heritage!

WiLd kiDs!

Oh, my.

Recipe for wIld kId SUrpRiSE:

Ingredients:

1 sister and family in town from Virginia
1 brother and family in town from Texas
3 siblings and family that live here

Mix separately:

17 Adults that want to talk downstairs
8 young cousins that have not seen each other for a while

Put together in one fair-sized house (where loud noises can get muffled)

What do you get?

wIld kId SUrpRiSE!



I'm just glad I didn't add sugar!

Honestly though it was a BLAST to watch the kids go absolutely CRAZY! I KNOW I should have been a responsible adult and called a halt. But, hey, it's my house and I had my camera ready!

Another snapshot:

My neice having a great time with the dress-ups. Just LOOK at these eyes!



p.s. Yes, that is her brother hamming it up in the background - those Texan's like to raise them wild!

Time does get away from me...

Oh, wow, am I in the doghouse! I have really neglected my little blog here. I hope you forgive me!

In my defense I have been a tad busy.

My wonderful brother and his family came up for a visit from Texas. I miss them terribly and it just feels so good to have them around even if it is for only a few days.


Lexy and a few of the cousins

My parents came back from 'snowbirding' the winter away. It's wonderful to have them back too. It also means I don't have to feed the cows and horses quite so much - a definite bonus!


My brother and my Dad on the new Mule

Our house is going up FAST! After sitting on it for over a year, we might be signing in 6 weeks. It's only been 2 weeks since they started the framing. We have a roof and the 4-way inspection is coming up next week already.


The beast (new home) front

My ever-so-missed-DH Brian is back from military school in Wisconsin and I can attest to the saying that 'distance makes the heart grow fonder' - I am SO happy to have a husband again!


Lexy is SO excited to be picking dad up at the airport

Oh, and the upcoming news I neglected to get posted here ... I've created a digitally altered alphabet inspired by the A2Z Cosmo papers in the SBS March kit

and digital page elements. You can see the page elements at www.scrapbooksociety.com in my gallery. Oh, and I've fallen in LOVE with making quote Transparencies! Feel free to right click and 'save picture as' to use this for yourself.


Long post - but I felt I owed it ;)