Five Things And A Joke

This is my creation for Melissa, the Stampin up! guru :) She is a most talented gal, and I love looking at her work. Her subject was 5 things you can't live without. Hhhhmmm, what 5 things could that be, well sometimes they make me wanna kill em, but my children are one of them, yes those batty buggers are dear to me.

Anyhow, the top of the list is God, and yes for many He is just a given so much like breathing but I felt the need to include Him. We have quite a contentious relationship me and the Big Boss. I talk to Him on a daily basis, and sometimes I give Him a piece of my mind. If He's my Father, then I should be able to tell Him exactly how I feel, I don't pull my punches with my family and friends, why with Him. I love Him dearly, and sometimes I get very upset with Him, not understanding the why's of what happens in life, but I accept His will, not always with a smile, but accept it just the same. He is a part of my life always.

My Hubby, he is my heart. I know I'm loved so deeply, and I am safe with him. All things are ok in my life with John by my side. I gain strength from him and know I can keep going with his encouragement! He is such a handsome hunk too ;)

My hair products!!! Yowsers, if I don't use the blow dryer, curling iron, or straightener, watch out! My hubs has told me to roar on occasion because I do resemble the MGM Lion!! I have very very VERY thick hair, and what falls out of my head and I pull outta a brush in a day would make a bald man cry big fat baby tears. I will never have to worry about thinning hair in this lifetime.

My books, I just love to read. It is an easy way to transport yourself to another place, to be another person, to go on an excellent adventure, wink wink nod nod, alla Bill and Ted's . I have been an avid reader since I was a very little girl. I can remember being in the 4th grade taking the standardized testing, and my Mom being told that I read on an 11th grade level. I gobble books up at an alarming rate. Not all of my children love reading like I do, maybe I should say have the same passion for it as I. Victoria does, the rest will do it but not with the same love. Desirae, John, and MaryAnn will read, but not with the same vigor, and my poor Sophia struggles so, but she is loving Lemony Snicket's series so I'm happy she has found something to help her get going. We'll have to see about Santino, he has favorites like SkippyJon Jones which we just love to read together, me with my terrible Spanish accent and he clapping as I sing horribly, but not noticed at all by him, and he is learning to read himself. It's exciting to see a child realize they are reading on their own!

So after that long-winded summary, here is my work -

I used my cricut and the jasmine cart for the lettering, #'s and the diamond journaling block. The papers and stickers were from the last cj that I participated in and weren't used, so were the stickers. I'm trying to use what I have and not buy. I have tons of stuff! A little inking and slight glitter on the #5. Very light on this layout, I didn't go all nuts, I like the affect. Bright and cheery.

Here is my tag. Melissa wanted us to use a word to describe ourselves and encorporate it into a tag. I used the word vibrant, I like to think that I'm bright, happy, and filled with good energy.

Now for the joke. I am submitting some pages to Memory Makers call for their book. I can't post it here since it has to be never before seen. I do display my pages in a frame I bought just for that purpose. Well, at Santino's bday party, my brother's in law just had a field day busting my onions since it was about my love for my hubs. They ribbed me, and we just laughed. I am very good natured and it's all in fun so we were just rolling. Well the 4th was my niece's bday so we went there, and I hear my brother in law Al saying, "I wanna be in the contest too, I know I can win!" My younger brother in law Mark spoofed my layouts with his own and I was crying I laughed so hard! He does this to me every so often, he got me real good the Thanksgiving in 03 that I was preggers with Santino. It was at our home, and the turkey was done and resting on the counter. I don't put stuffing in, but I do put an onion studded with cloves. Well I come back in the kitchen and look at the turkey and see little bird legs inside the cavity. Well I start to panic, my brain just blanks completely, I pull em and I see a small cooked bird in it! I start screaming - "Help Help the turkey had a baby and it cooked!" I'm crying screaming in a panic, "how did this happen, help get it out, what's going on here!?" Everyone was laughing hysterical at me. Mark had cooked a cornish hen at his house brought it over, and stuffed it into the turkey when I went inside. My kids were saying Mom, turkeys lay eggs silly, and John said don't you remember putting the onion in. Lord I don't know how Sonny wasn't born right there! Mark was just laughing! I love my brother in law dearly, I've known him since I was 15, and he is a sweatheart.

Here are his "creations". The first one is of Mark, the brat, and the second is Al.

I am reading a wonderful book called Outlander by Diana Gabaldon. I believe it's considered urban fantasy vs. paranormal romance but I'll dig a bit more to see if this is the case. Paranormal focuses more on the romance aspect, where as urban fantasy focuses on world building. It's a bit of a history lesson, action and romance rolled up in one. I'm reading it as my March book challenge of reading a book over 1000 pgs. Well it's about 868, so it'll due ;) This is the first in the series as you can see, and they are all supposed to be very good. If they're like #1 then I can't wait to read the rest.