Apples and Oranges

Hey, everyone!

I have had pen pals since I was in elementary school. I have kept up with a couple of pen friends for several years but most of my friendships via snail mail sort of tapered off through the years. Knowing I have written to pen pals all over the world, my daughter asked me over and over if I would get her a pen pal. I asked a friend of mine if she would be her pen pal. Debbi Doodles is a dear friend of mine and lives in another state. She was more than happy to spoil my daughter with sweet little notes, fun letters, pictures, and lots of presents! Kadesia is always so happy to hear from her. I signed my daughter up with some pen pals over at SplitCoastStampers recently. She is excited about the new pen friends she is making. This week she will be making 5 of these cards to mail to her pen pals! I made a sample card for her. The paper is a retired TAC designer collection called Finger Paints. I love the vivid colors! The stamp set is the HELLO SUNSHINE that I am so crazy about and check out the scalloped edge using my new cloud scissors that I can't stop talking about! LOL The ink I used is all Palette Hybrid: L'Amore Red, Viridian Leaf and Orangerie.

I went into Old Navy on Thursday to kill some time before Javan and I had lunch with Paul. I saw these adorable nail files for only $1.50 per pack. Have you seen these? They only had one package of orange left when I was in there but several of the apple so I got one of each. I thought they would go great with this card and each of Kadesia's pen pals can get a slice of orange and a slice of apple! The package says to "Snap off a segment and file away!" I think they are super cute! They will make a fun little tuck-in for her friends!

I have some exciting (and a little bit sad....) news to share with you all that happened over the weekend! First of all on Saturday Paul and I had gone down to the campsite where my husbands' parents were camping out with our kids. We were picking Javan up and while I was finishing eating Kadesia said, "Look Momma!" I turned to see her whizzing by on her bicycle and she said "No training wheels!" Well I was so excited but I felt a lump in my throat and hardly could find my voice to tell her how proud of her I was! I remembered too well her bicycle wreck and how scary that was for both of us! But I know I have to give my babies roots and wings...just hard to watch them flapping their wings so early! You know? So for the other exciting/sad news...LOL! Yesterday my mom was giving Javan a hair cut and afterwards decided to put him in the tub so I could get him into his pajamas! We've been sitting on the potty all last week and I just wasn't sure he was quite ready because he would only tell me AFTER he had already gone in his pull-up! So my mom and I were in the bathroom with Javan and he was standing up in her garden tub and he said PEE MOMMY! I asked him if he wanted to sit on the potty and he said yes so I let him but wondering if it was just for "fun" again! LOL I saw him shiver and then HE DID IT! He peed in the potty like a big boy! I am so excited and super sad! He may have only had that one victory right now and maybe won't really be ready for a little longer but I am not sure I am ready. My mom tells me it is time but my heart says NOT YET! He's my baby, my last baby! I just took some of his baby toys out of his toybox for an upcoming garage sale we're having and with each pile of clothes, it tears at my heartstrings. I know he will be 2 in August but that just can't be right! Where does the time go? I've always been told to savor all the moments because it doesn't last and believe me I have tried! I hold on for dear life to every precious word and moment that I can!! It is so hard to watch my beautiful babies grow up and depend on me less and less but I take comfort in knowing that they need me now and will for a while longer...so I will thank God for blessing me with these two beautiful children and pray that I don't mess up too bad! I know I don't always get it right but I sure want to!!!

Thanks for hanging out with me today and sharing my project with me! If you want the Hello Sunshine stamp set there is still time to order it! Just let me know but after May 31 it will be gone so don't put it off! Tomorrow is StampTACular Tuesday and we have a fun Challenge for all of you to join in! Christina and I have a really fun project to share with you and I haven't seen hers yet so it will be a fun surprise for me, too, but I know it will be great! Wednesday is the Scripture Challenge and it will be a really fun one to share! I am not totally done with it just yet but I am very excited about what I am coming up with! See ya then!

Hugs,