Just me My Soldier and our 2 little chicks

and just like that he's back where he belongs

he came in realllly late last night (1 am). 

but what an amazing experience it was. 

while he sleeps (traveling for a week wears you out- and he stayed up all night last night!!) i thought i'd share a few photos.

there is so much i want to say.

so much.

but i can't find the words right now.

i'll be back when i can form a clear thought, tell you what is in my heart.

but for now this is all i can say.

thank you God.

and thank all of you for supporting my family on this journey.

since last night, there has been a prayer on repeat in my head. and it goes something like this.

thank you so much for bringing my family back together. thank you, Lord, for that.

there were days i thought that tonight might never happen. thank you thank you thank you.

and my heart was aching for the families of the 8 boys that didn't walk into that gym.

so much love and sadness all at the same time.

i'll be back later, just wanted to pop in. i'm way too wound up to sleep, even though J and the 2 chickies are both napping.

love to you all.

s

Pretty Much Flipping Out (oh, and a giveaway, too!) CONTEST CLOSED

countdown: two days (not counting today- tuesday).

staying busy. trying not to completely spaz out. 

if you know me, you know i'm pretty spazzy anyway. but i'm trying to keep the spaziness to a minimum.

i will probably have one little update before he comes home, but i thought now might be a great time to do a lil' giveaway.

GIVEAWAY ONE

my sweet friend (and fellow army wife), rebecca, owns a shop and was sweet enough to send me this precious little dress to give away.

Here's what Rebecca has to say:

This dress is called Pok-A-Dot Tot...it can be made in sizes 6 months to 5T .   My name is Rebecca and I am a SAHM to two beautiful girls and I am a proud Army wife. When my husband decided to join the Army I decided to supplement our income by creating one of a kind boutique outfits, pillowcase dresses, tutus, burpies and more and selling them through various sites. Once I saw that my creations were selling I decided to start my own online Boutique and that is how Hot Tot's Boutique was born!   Please feel free to browse through my shop. I am constantly adding new items and I love working with my clients so if you do not see what you are looking for please feel free to contact me! Thank you for taking the time to check out all I have to offer!!

sidenote: how CUTE is her baby girl? i swear, both of her girls are always dressed like little dolls.

GIVEAWAY TWO:

It's purging time. My giveaway cupboard is full again. If you win this drawing, I'll ship you a flat rate box full of goodies. I know there are some Studio Calico and Lily Bee goodies in there, along with LOTS of other surprises.

If you'd like to enter, leave a comment here and I will draw two winners on Thursday. Please do not leave a comment if you would not be interested in winning either of these. Thanks!!

xoxo

s

Documentary

Countdown to Howell Family of 4: 4 days (not counting today). YAY!

It's time for the Studio Calico July Kit. WHEEEE! I'll be honest, I thought I was going to have a hard time with this one. It's not "me". Lots of darker, more masculine pieces.

Some travel themed pieces. And clearly I don't travel. Heee!

But, as always, it worked out just fine.

I ended up making some pages that meant a lot to me.

Now that I've let go of the pressure I used to put on myself long ago,

it's much more fun. I just make things that are special to me.

Of course I want to do my best to showcase the wonderful kits that A&S put together,

but I also want to create authentic pages that my family will love.

B/c as I always say...I might not be intricate or be able to do a technique to save my life (although davinie ALMOST has me talked into trying stitching)

but I love getting those moments down on paper. 

telling that story. I guess the most important thing to me is the journaling the feelings/thoughts I have. B/C I know when I'm old and senile I won't remember them.

No duh. I know. Anyway, moving on.

**click on photos to see them at actual size**

i wanted to do a patriotic themed layout this month. it is, after all july.

i've been saving these fabulous photos that time magazine 

was kind enough to send us.

i punched all of the red, white, and blue papers in the kit

 with a star punch and inked them.

the cork stars are actually from the making memories cork alphabet sheet. 

i punched them from the numbers section 

(i rarely, if ever, use the numbers)

i always tell j i'd follow him anywhere. always have, always will.

i used the sei tickets as an entire background sheet

 or patterned paper instead of separating them.

the travel themed stickers and flags work here,

 even though i'm not talking about travel in the traditional sense.

i colored in the "open" letters with a white uniball signo to add a bit of pop.

yes, i'm aware i've already used this photo on a layout. ;)

but photos of me are few and rare between. 

it will be nice when J is home and we can ALL be in photos!

i used one of this month's SC exclusive fabrips to make the flower. 

i love that quote from the october afternoon sticker sheet. 

and this color combination seems so fresh and pretty to me.

i'll be 32 in august, so i'll get to do another one of these soon!

i've been wanting to do a page documenting

 our daily schedule for a long time. 

the making memories hibuscus florals, while beautiful, 

did not match my pages this month.

so i decided to use the back side of them on this layout. 

the leaf pin, button (top with a sassafras sticker),

 and cut up october afternoon phrases, make sweet embellishments.

this one came about as i was thinking about

 what "vacation" means to our family.

well, unless you count afghanistan, i didn't have one to scrap about. 

(can't wait to go to disney this summer 

and have my first set of family vacation photos!)

anyway, i thought about how much the simple things

 we do together as a family mean to us.

There you go.

Fun kit, huh?

Now go get yours!!

Happy Sunday, sweet friends.

xo

coming home

so it looks like i have less than a week at this point. 

what you say? that's right. status change. seems he's moved up a flight. 

HOLY HECK. 

that's what i'm thinking over here.

staying as busy as possible so that i don't have time to THINK.

but i'll tell you this. it's nice to have him out of the korengal valley.

he's at a much bigger base in a different part of Afghanistan, and for that I am grateful.

i'm letting my guard down a BIT. not looking out the window wondering if "that" car is going to pull up to tell me the news.

it's nice to let my shoulders relax a little bit.

i wanted to look back at photos to see what life was like when j. left.

here are the chickies right before he left (actually a year ago today):

clearly this photo was an indicator of sadie's future personality. but can you believe how much her hair has changed??

and i don't even know what to say about this one. i mean, she had a BABY face for goodness sake! she's a little girl now.

homecoming is a thrill, no doubt. 

but it's also an adjustment. feeling each other out.

no, i didn't say UP, you pervs. but that  too.

anyway, getting to know each other again. co parenting. he's adjusting to coming home from living in a very dangerous place for a year. i've been the sole parent, decision maker, and remote holder for a year. things take a bit to click into place.

but the best part? the best thing? i get to feel like a teenager with a crush. i get the nerves and the sick stomach to go with it. i get to look at him at the welcome home ceremony and feel like i'm falling in love all over again for the first time. butterflies, stupid grin, the whole thing.

this morning i was reading to the chickies. 

harper was tucked under my arm and 

sadie (as usual) was climbing on top of me. 

i had this thought: it's kind of the end of

an era. no more three. thank God, but at the same time....

it's just been us. and it's 

been an AMAZING year. 

so it's scary, thrilling, breathtaking, happy, and bittersweet all at 

once.

happy friday. love you all. xo

Just Taking It Easy.

Countdown to seeing J: About a week and a half or less.

What we've been doing:

 

maybe one day i'll find myself lured inside to be crafty.

but not now. summer's just too much fun.

savoring the last days we have together as three.

xoxo

s

Buenos Dias!

Good morning, friends. It's a gorgeous, sunshiney day here. I've got a fresh cup of coffee and the chickies are sleeping in. Well, of course, there's a price to pay for this brief respite. The Sadie Bug kept us up all night. 

We are in the midst of her "separation anxiety" phase. She loves her mama and wants her mama all. the. time. She's so dang cute, I must admit I kind of like it.

So, things have been on repeat here.

Wake up

Breakfast

Get Dressed

Run Errands

Snack

Play in baby pool/slip and slide

lunch

nap

snack

baby pool/slip and slide

dinner

bath time

story time

bed

Hee! Gotta love the summer. It's my very own version of a vacation. Who needs tropical beaches, palm trees, and fruity drinks when you have

a bubble machine, a baby pool, a lawn chair, and a paperback.

oh yes, and wine juice boxes.

Good times at the Howell household! 

I love this routine we have settled into.

Can't wait until Mr. Howell is a part of the routine!

I don't have much to share, but I thought I'd show a new layout.

And also, I wanted to link you to this fabulous post. I have had the thoughts behind her post in my head for a long time, but she put it so much more eloquently than I ever could have. I have worked an assortment of jobs over the years, and people are so unkind. When I was a hostess/server some people treated me, and my coworkers, like dirt. This is one of my pet peeves and I LOVE this post. Bravo, I say. Here's to common decency. And a smile, and a thank you.

And the layout, using the new BasicGrey June Bug line:

patterned paper: basic grey

ribbon: michaels

flower: prima

alphas: american crafts thickers (lullabye and subway fonts)

scallop punch: EK success

cork butterfly: chatterbox

pen: uniball signo

Lately, I've really been observing the girls and their pure joy and relentless optimism. 

The way children approach life is so refreshing...so honest.

I keep thinking "oh i wish i still felt that excited about ________"

thus the journaling for this page.

Okay, that's it. Have a beautiful, blessed day.

xo

s

Top Ten Secrets to being a Daddy (J.C.H. style)

1. have tea parties with your girls. if they ask you to wear a tiara, do it. real men can totally pull off pink.

2. take your daughters on daddy dates. 

3. when your daughter finally gets the hang of potty training, send her an email saying you want to have a "pee in the potty party" when you come home.

4. be the primary bath giver for the first 2 years of your oldest daughter's life. make sure to always remind her not to drink the "hiney water".

5. learn to do your daughter's hair. even if it looks REALLY bad, act very proud of yourself so that your wife won't say a word.

6. three words. guilty deployment gifts. make sure to tell your wife first so that whatever present she gets said child for said occasion is not ECLIPSED by 5 foot tall teddy bear you will be sending from FAO Schwartz.

7. teach your children what is dangerous by walking around and playing a game titled "touch...touch...NO TOUCH!!!!" for example, when in kitchen:

(at counter)....touch

(other counter)...touch

(stovetop).....NO TOUCH!!!!!

it's surprisingly effective.

8. if your child asks you to do the "hotdog dance" from mickey mouse clubhouse, or even the "chicken dance"...you DO it, by golly. and do it with energy. so much energy, that when you are far away and unable to do previously mentioned dance with children, no dance mommy EVER does will EVER live up to your version. 

9. be patient with your children. really TALK to them, never as if they are babies. get down on their level and really LISTEN to what they have to say. give them logical choices and consequences and respect their feelings. 

10. be the best daddy your wife could have ever imagined. because of this, she will fall even more in love with you each and every time that she sees you with your girls. wear your heart on your sleeve and tell your children often how much you love them and how proud of them you are. wrestle, giggle, read, play soccer, sing, and dress up with your girls. give them an example of the kind of man that they too deserve. a man who is good, honest, brave, and noble. 

happy father's day, jimmy. we love you.

Wiped Out

Playdates in the hot Texas sun are tiring!

It's 100 degrees here today and we went to visit our best friends at Ft. Hood.

swimming

slip and sliding

okay. that's a lie. harper's bestie, sophie did it properly. she does have two brothers after all!!

but harper carefully ran to the very end with her hands flapping and then gingerly plopped in the water.

Lord help us all.

popsicles

then repeat the first two steps over and over and over

and what do you get?

two tired chickies.

hope you had an equally satisfying (and tiring) summer day!

xoxo

about me. or you. documenting your "you".

**thanks so much for all of the layout challenges! i think my july challenges will be "scrapping myself in high school" and "stink-eye". you guys are awesome!!**

i thought i'd talk a little bit about "all about me" pages.

i don't love doing them and i'm not sure why. 

maybe it's because i'm pretty self-conscious and don't like being in front of the camera.

i'm getting better at that, though.

when i look at pictures of me with the family, instead of thinking 

my hair looks bad

or i don't like my profile

now i'm noticing the emotion in the photos.

noticing the way the girls are looking at me.

the bond we have.

the way i look so happy to be with my husband.

things like that, instead of the hair, or the weight, or whatever might be bugging me about "me" that day...

but i digress.

i really want my girls to one day know WHO i was. what made me tick.

how i felt, what i thought, that i was lost as a new mommy just like everyone else. that life wasn't perfect, that i loved them fiercely.

so i'm working on talking about "me" more.

i made this page when i was pregnant with sadie. i had so many emotions running through my mind. i felt pretty guilty for getting pregnant again so fast. i recorded these emotions here, in a sort of "stream of consciousness" journaling flow.

this one is fairly new, so most of you probably recognize it.

on this one i shared how i honestly feel sometimes as a mother. how sometimes i get so wrapped up in taking care of everyone else, that i forget to take care of myself.

some of you may feel like it's not good to share these emotions with your children.

i obviously don't tell them these things right now,

but down the  line (especially when they are mothers themselves), i hope they will "get it". and say oh, she felt that way, too!

i'm pretty sure this is one of the first pages i ever made about myself.

i remember jimmy was taking these photos in GA and 

he said something totally pervy or something and that's why i'm looking at him like that in the bottom photo. HA!

on this one (towards the beginning of the deployment) i kind of spilled out onto paper all of the secret fears i was harboring in my soul. and honestly? it made me feel better. to write it down helped. who know a page about my feelings could be therapeutic? 

okay, so here's the deal. i don't think i'd want albums full of layouts like these. 

i enjoy doing one every now and then, though, to document where i am. what i'm feeling.

i've never been into scrapping the coffee i drink, or the shoes i wear. i really appreciate pages like that when other women make them, but i can't get into them. i don't know why. i guess i'd just rather document "me" this way.

i do need to work on not forgetting who i am, though. not only scrapping or talking about my children and husband. i'm slowly emerging from the "mommy fog".

i have another me page that i'll share next week when the studio calico july gallery debuts. 

hope you all have a fabulous weekend and that you have time to relax and be with the people you love.

happy friday! xo

p.s. hop on over to the Lily Bee blog for a giveaway!

p.p.s. for those of you who are counting with me, i think he will be home in around 2 weeks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

p.p.p.s. thanks so much for all of the book recs. keep em coming! i have a great library list now. i got "american wife" by curtis sittenfeld this morning! xo

A year ago today

First, thank you so much for your sweet words and for letting me ramble.

Today was, of course, much much better. I had more patience and more positivity.

That's the good thing about bad days. The next day is always much better. =)

This was  one year ago today:

Um, I can't even believe how much they have grown.

Insane! 

A year ago, they were just really starting to notice and tolerate one another. They liked to lay in bed together and kind of just look at each other. 

Today, they are usually best friends half the day, and enemies the other half. The new thing they do (it cracks me up) is slowly walk around the house holding hands.

Harper says encouraging things to Sadie while they walk, and Sadie just stares at Harper.

And then Sadie will do something like pull Harper's hair, stare at her tooooo long, or lick her elbow, and all bets are off.

Oh well.

I wanted to remind you guys about the challenge I want to do, the challenge posed by you guys. I've gotten a few suggestions so far

1. a mini about the past year

2. a layout about my family

any more?

I'd like to do your challenge with my Studio Calico July kit, but time's running out and I just don't think I have time to do the mini. Any more requests?

Currently I'm reading this

Uhh I'm ashamed to admit it, but I had to return The Hour I First Believed by Wally Lamb to the library. I tried and tried and could not make myself read it.

So I've moved on to something a bit more.....lighthearted??

I love Tori Spelling and I loved her first book. I really like this one, but I suspect I'll be done soon.

Any suggestions? The girls and I visit the library weekly and I'm always looking.

One more thing.

Studio Calico subscribers will now get anadvance opportunity to purchase new add-on kits each month. Beginning with July's kit, subscribers will be able to purchase their add-ons and shop items 12 hours in advance of reveal (12:00 noon on the 27th). Some add-ons will also be held in reserve and posted for sale at 12:00am for the traditional reveal.
Not a subscriber? Email waitinglist@studiocalico.com now to preorder your subscription!

exciting news indeed!

Hope you have a beautiful Thursday.

xoxo