Shutterfly Freebie

As most of you know I am a Shutterfly finatic. I have always used them for my annual photo books of our daughter. I am currently in the process of making christmas cards(the Folded Versions are my favorites since they allow me to add our yearly story) and I ran across an offer to good not to share. If any of you are like me, and I am sure most of you are, you will be sending out Christmas cards this year. Don't forget there are always Wall Calendars and Christmas Ornaments too! What better way than to get 50 free cards? I am so excited to share that the shutterfly community blog is hosting a give away. Thanks Margaret Ramsey, for letting my know about this great freebie! YAY!!

Just a quick little note: LAST MONTH was our 8th Anniversary!

Thanks to my in-laws we were able to go out to dinner & also spend a couple of hrs at Six Flags!

I Have Finally Made The Leap

into the photography world that is... I hope you all will help me get the word out there to anyone in the Chicago IL/ Milwaukee WI areas.

My website is here.

feel free to pass this along anyway you'd like

any tips and tricks to getting to know and meet new customers please send your feed back my way~ Muah~Simona

Officially Falling Apart..

I have been dealing with a lot of bum body parts over the last couple of years... I have admitted to the hubby that yes in about 10 years he might be toting around an elderly woman with a walker/cane/or wheelchair. I feel like I am much older(in my bones) than a 26 yr old.

For the last 3 + weeks I have been nursing a pain in my lower leg(just below the shin and above the ankle... It doesn't really have a name). Out of paranoia I finally made an appointment.. I thought it had to do with my back, something stemming from a pinched nerve, b/c when sitting my shin ankle area would become numb. I have at the same time been having a lot more back pain.

Come to find out yes I am a old lady... I ended up having x-rays and lab work the x-rays confirmed a stress fracture in the lower femur bone and I haven't heard back from the lab work yet but I am on calcium supplements. I have also been referred to a physical therapist for all my back pain. The Dr and I are hoping for some relief as I start building more muscles in my back. Woo Hoo! I can't wait to not have as much pain anymore. It makes me quite the grouch. I am looking forward to being a nicer wife and mom. Keep me in your prayers. I have a referral to see someone in Orthopedics to make sure my leg is healing properly. It takes about 6-8 weeks to completely heal and I am not allowed to do extra activities...In fact my Dr said the only reason she wants me doing anything is if it is life or death. So I am allowed to walk but nothing more.

Hope Every One Has A WonderFul Weekend!

These photos are irrelevant to the post today... They just make me smile..These are photos from back in March when my little sister and Miss G had a Impromptu Fashion Show.

Oh What Fun It Is To......

COLOR :)

Miss G and I spent a good bit of time today coloring in this city. We had such a good time doing it too. She delegated what I could color and what she wanted to color(dare I say, I did alot of coloring???) I recommend checking out made by joel to download your very own creations....

Golf Lessons

Jonathan convinced me that it would be wonderful for her b/c it is a sport that she can be a lady and continue to play as she gets older. He is also liking that they can do this together. He spoke with someone that said her daughter took lessons and is getting better acquainted with the fundamentals of it... So here we are Tue and Thurs until school starts.

Golfing With Daddy

Jonathan really enjoyed getting to introduce G to golf. She loved it. More to come :)

This is where you would find me the entire night...

Back to Creating...

I got out a pattern(my first ever) and went to town yesterday... I let Miss G pict out her fabric, it made her that much more excited to try it on and wear it around... It probably helped that I made her teddy bear a little outfit to match. I am not happy with the way the neck line turned out (I had to tweak it quite a bit) .Overall it is pretty cute , and give its length it'll be worn for quite sometime.

Can you help me help my friend, Crystal, show God's love to people in Africa?

Crystal has put it in such beautiful words that I could never sum up even a portion of what it means to be able to help. Please go see and know what I am feeling. I cannot help as much as I would like but I just skipped our normal going out for one day so that I could help her with this cause. I feel that the thing I can help more with is by posting this on here and on facebook. I might be able to help one more family.

If God places it in you heart to help, Thank You! Crystal has put her wonderful talents to work to make sure it get out to everyone, she has been generous enough to make this beautiful quilt and put it up for a drawing... This beauty could be yours.

6 Flags Kind of Day

G & I are rocking out a guitar at a shop inside 6 Flags. My mom and sister came to visit. My mom & I had a Pamp3r3d Ch3f Conf3r3nc3 in Chicago over the week and my sister stayed at our house watching Miss G. When our conference ended we went to ride roller coasters and go to the water park.

Celebrate the 4th today!

Miss G has been waiting to wear this dress for about 3 weeks. Thank you Mama. My grandmother took her out to dinner before we left to spend some time with her and on there way home they stopped at Kohl's and walked in with this beauty...

Friends Are Wonderful

Really Really Wonderful...

I hope you are as blessed as I am to have friends who will help you move 1000+ miles across country... I couldn't have asked for more...

We went to the city ...

Drove in the big city without any accidents....

We saw the bones of a T-Rex...

Did lots of window shopping...

Ate famously stuffed pizza at Giordano's Pizza...

Used the CTA system...

Ate at Jimmy Johns...

We learned G is a rather good photographer if needed in a pinch----> I have always been nervous of asking a random stranger to hold my prized possession(talking about my camera guys not my child.. :p)
We also learned she takes about 30+ photos for one sitting...

Walked WAY to far by accident....

Rode the Bus System ....

Ate at Noodles...

Took fabulous photos with crazy girls....

Ventured the metra with a 6 yr old ...

Used our GPS to find non-existent restaurants..

Miss read the maps, which caused us to walk an extra couple of miles...

We stood ashore & looked out over a lake that seemed as large as the Gulf of Mexico...

Did I mention ate good pizza??? :)

Went to many Museums...

Walked everywhere.....

Ate a Chicago Dog.... the one I had tasted just like a regular hotdog---> did I get jipped? was it supposed to be better?

Went shopping and found great deals...

We stood on a see thru ledge overlooking the city 103 stories up(approx 1350 ft), where by I didn't look directly down when standing on the ledge...

Went into the city to see the Sky Deck at Willis Tower to only have it closed due to high winds and window blowouts...

Realized our walking shoes hurt our feet more than our flipflops...We are Fl girls...

Had a wonderful birthday breakfast with the girls...

Dropped my best friends off at the airport....

One Bestie arrived just a little late(oopsie) and missed her flight...

Good thing it was early enough in the day that she could catch the next one....

I didn't cry...not that day....