Hello World! Part 2

Well, Ryan and Brett are running the cable in our house so I have a few minutes. I just cleaned off the picnic table, our deck chairs, the deck, and the driveway. Looks a little better now. I was scrapping, but then I got an email from my father that made me pretty angry, so as the wife on The Emperor's New Groove says, "I gotta go wash something."

He is not coming to David's reception. I am not angry at this because it is David's reception, I am angry because it means that he just flat out doesn't care about me. He does not want to be involved in my life probably because my mom's life is so intertwined with mine. This would be the perfect excuse to come over and see the house his daughter bought and see the construction she is doing. He would realize that we did a dang good job in picking a house and that we are very lucky. He would be proud of me. I guess that is what it comes down to. I want my dad back in my life, but he is not doing his part. I sent him an invite to my house and he has refused it. I don't know who he is anymore and that hurts. It hurts a lot.

That is all for now. I must try to not cry right now as I have no place I can go in my house where it will not be noticed.

Hello World! Part 1 of 2?

So for the last few months I have been in something of a funk. I just haven't been very happy. I went day to day just doing what had to be done, but I just wasn't feeling very good about life. So when I realized this, I started evaluating things to determine why. I realized that there were some things I wasn't doing that I should be. I wasn't really doing anything wrong, just wasn't doing some right things. Anyway, I have been trying to change my attitude about life and doing what I should be doing and it is better. I am still not perfect (who is?) but I am feeling much better. It is amazing the effect of just saying that you are going to be happy can have on you. Simply changing your attitude makes a big difference.

As a result of this, I haven't been updating this blog. I have been updating my scrapping blog, but that is because I have to :) as part of my CT duties. I have uploaded lots of LOs over there, you might go check it out! I am going to fill you in on what we have been doing the last few months....

Seminary ended the first week of June. It was a really difficult calling for me, especially as I realized just what I wasn't doing. I enjoyed it, but was soooo glad when it was over! It was stressful and one of those callings that seemed never ending! I have told several people that I will not be back next year, but still haven't received the call from the high council member that would make it official. That kinda worries me....I can't do it next year though. If all goes according to plan this summer I will be pregnant next year and I don't want to do seminary and work full time while pregnant.

That brings me to the next thing. My Dr and I agree that the Clomid is not working as well as we would like it to. It has made me more regular, but has not resulted in a pregnancy. Brett has been tested and the first test came back with one part irregular. So he went in today actually for another one. The Dr wanted a completely normal test from him before we move onto artificial insemination. Hopefully we will get the results soon so that we can get started on that. Of course, I am still hoping that maybe we can get pregnant the cheap way, but if this is the way we need to do it, then that is what we will do!

Not getting pregnant earlier has definitely made it easier for us to get all that we want. We have a great new house and we are in the process of making it even better!! I am so excited for our construction to be done! We started the beginning of June with the popcorn ceiling coming down. Then the beam went up and the walls came down. When they removed the carpet, they found this fantastic turtle shell green flooring underneath. Disgusting!! And there was brown wood panelling behind the fireplace. Yuck! I have some pics below. These are the before pics.

Hate that blue carpet! It is gone now. At least from this room. The LR has it too and we do not have plans to change it out just yet. Alight, here are some pics of the progress...

This is the panelling that was behind the sheetrock on the wall behind the fireplace.

This is the beautiful piece of wood that my mom is calling Bonnie and Clyde because it robbed us blind. Expensive. Thanks for recommending it Clynn....

The temp walls

This is what I came home to the first day when they took the popcorn ceiling off. They figured they were already dirty, so they should strip the walls down. That at least gave us an idea of the greatness this room was going to have... :)

This is the ugly green turtle shell linoleum under the carpet. Beautiful huh?

We have David's reception on Saturday and unfortunately this is what the room looks like....

No Carpet and no sheet rock, exposed insulation. The only thing that is going to change by Sat is that the electrician will put in all the lights and take care of the dangling stuff. Oh well. Mom and I are planning to put some fabric up to cover that wall and we just aren't worrying about the floor. Everyone should be wearing shoes right?!? Anyway, it will be fine. I hope!

Well, this post is long enough, I think I will put everything else in another post....when I have a few minutes which might not be for awhile as we are busy preparing for the reception. Talk to you soon!

New Experiences

Well, today I was extended the call and then set apart as a Seminary teacher of the juniors and seniors. I am slightly overwhelmed. I wasn't released as a ward missionary, that might be an issue later when I really get into it. I guess we will see.

I knew as soon as I got the phone call about the high councilman wanting to meet with me what it was going to be. And I also knew that even though this kind of stresses me out, that I would say yes. I have been feeling lately that I have not been as active in the gospel as I should be. I mean, I go to church, read my scriptures, pray, etc, but I am not being a diligent disciple like I know Heavenly Father wants me to be. And maybe, just maybe, if I lose myself in service to the Lord I will finally be at the place I need to be to start my family. That is just the feeling of late, so I guess we will see how this goes.

When gymnastics ends in two weeks I will be very thankful. It has made things so much harder at work and home. I am very ready for it to be over. I have enjoyed the time with my girls and I have LOVED seeing how much they have improved. Enough is enough though!!

Well, right now our elders quorum president is on his way over to see us and then the relief society president will be here at three, so I guess I better go!

More Contemplations

So I have been thinking the last two days about why the Lord finds it important to reteach concepts. I went to the temple Saturday morning and a particular phrase was ALL I heard through the entire session. I really felt the Spirit as it repeated over and over in the session and then in my head. I had gone to the temple because I haven't been recently and I really needed help with something. I went for guidance and peace. Totally don't feel like I got it! And that frustrates me so much! I know that I was supposed to hear that phrase, but I already KNOW this fact. Very well! I am trying to accomplish that commandment but there are problems. I don't understand why the Lord felt like it was so important for me to hear it given my situation.

I am praying for understanding. Any thoughts?

2009 Reflection

Tomorrow marks the beginning of a new year. This time always brings out thoughts of how to improve ourselves and our lives although I am pretty pleased with how things have gone this last year.

Brett and I are even more in love than when we were married. Our relationship has grown so much. I so appreciate him and his friendship. It is so nice to be married to someone who knows me so well. We are definitely still learning things about each other and have our disagreements, but we are growing closer. We have finally gotten in the habit of reading our scriptures and saying a prayer every night. We have been doing that for most of the year and we have only missed a handful of times. We are working on prayers in the morning now.

I am soooooooo happy with our new house! We have been in it about 6 weeks now and the inside is almost completely organized. The spare room actually has the bed set up and could quickly become a room if someone comes to visit....(hint hint Tammy and Kathy!!) My room is the cleanest it has ever been in my entire marriage (I am trying to hard to train Brett to put his dirty clothes in the dirty clothes basket!!!) and my closet is awesome! Our kitchen cart is scheduled to arrive on Tuesday, so hopefully Brett will have that put together asap. That will make me love my kitchen so much more. More counter space will be so amazing! The dining room no longer has a bunch of clutter around the table and the garage is starting to come together. We are doing it a little bit at a time.

School is going well this year. I guess I started 2009 with my crappy 7th graders, but I am ending with a fantastic group of 6th graders. I am working so well with Patty and I think we are an excellent team!! It makes my life so much easier when we plan together. I am doing half the work while bouncing ideas off someone instead of doing it all on my own. So nice. I am praying that at this time next year I can say that I am teaching 6th grade science again. I DO NOT want to move up to 7th grade. It would be so nice to teach the same curriculum again and not have to learn a new set.

Church is great like always! I loved the ward in Renton and even though I complained, I mostly enjoyed my calling. I like having a job and knowing that I am fantastic at it. I don't have a calling in the new ward, but I am sure that wont last too long. They all know us pretty well, so....the one thing that worries me is that they just released the activities person last Sunday and did not call a new one......yuck! Although, I think we would have a better experience doing it in this ward than in the other ward. We would be able to find a much better committee.

In general life has been good! We have had lots of great times with family and friends. Babies were born and we had a few marriages. Melita moved back to WA which is a great thing. It is nice to have my best friend nearby again.

I hope that next year will be a better year for my body. I had lots of back problems this year and problems with my cycle. I am praying that both of those will be better. So far, it looks like it will. Clomid is working in the sense that I have been regular for two months now, we will see 2 weeks into January if that trend is going to continue. I am going to physical therapy for my back, so one of my goals this next year is to do the exercises more regularly.

This post was going to be about next year's goals, but it was good to reflect on the last year. It helps to see where you've been before you can determine where you want to go.

I am looking forward to a fantastic new year!!

New Blog

So as we go into 2010 I have decided to make a few changes. I have been told over and over again by one of my best friends (you know who you are!!) just how important it is to keep a journal. Well, I started my blog with the intention of using it as a kind of journal. It started off that way, but as I got more and more into scrapbooking, it has really become a scrapping blog. I don't like that and I want to change it. So I created a NEW blog - just for scrapping!

You can find it here!

I hope that you will visit it if you want to know about some great kits, but if you just want to know what the heck Juli and Brett are up to, here is the place to be! =) I hope you like the new blog design, it certainly took long enough. Man. Although part of that was the new blog and wanting it to be a little different...Anyway, I hope to still post LOs, but only to keep with the journal portion. I really believe that scrapping is a great way to preserve all the memories we make in this life and I will continue to do that, I just wont be doing the advertising I was doing before.

Well, that is all for tonight I think. Soon, I will post my goals for 2010. Hopefully someone will keep me accountable! =)

Touchdown

We have a football party every week....so this kit is an obvious choice for me. I think the elements would be great for some group shots of us lounging on the couch watching our Seahawks do well or...Well, they can play well. Anyway, this kit is great. Here is the preview. You know the drill! =)

U-Da-Bomb

Umm, a collab by Nicole and Amber. Need I say more? Their kits and especially COLLABS are seriously MUST HAVES!!!! Love the colors, love the elements. Here is the incredible preview. Click to go to the store!!

Rafting Fun

I have so many pictures I could use to scrap our rafting trips with this great kit from Nicole! Doesn't that look awesome? I love the elements in this kit. Click to go to the store!

Outdoor Adventure

Here is another great kit from Nicole. It is called Outdoor Adventure. I would love this kit as we LOVE to camp, so we have lots of pictures to use with this. Click the preview to go to the store!

Indy

Here is another great kit by Nicole. I love Indiana Jones. I think this kit would be really fun to work with. The colors are great and the elements are sure to be excellent!! Click the preview to go to the store!

Waverly templates Part 2

Here is my second LO using these amazing templates by Steph. We had Kyle and Candy over last night, and we had a blast! Their little boy is so darn adorable! I loved taking pictures of him. Anyway, here is the LO. I used a kit called A Rainbow Promise by Ellie Lash and Trixie Scraps Designs. I just love all the little animals. Hope you like the LO. And go to the store and get Steph's templates!!

Waverly Templates

Steph has a new set of templates out called Waverly Templates. I really like this set. I finished one LO, and am working on another one right now. I hope to get it done tonight or tomorrow. Anyway, here is my LO and the preview. Click the preview to go to the store!

I used a collab by Nicole and Amber for this LO called Love and Joy. Don't think you can buy it anymore....sorry. Love the kit though!

Cherish

I think I have blogged about this kit before, but I didn't win. So therefore....you get to see it again! I LOVE LOVE LOVE the colors in this kit called Cherish by Digi Designs by Nicole. Isn't it a great kit? Click the preview to go to the store to buy it!

Designer Contest

Just a little post about the designer contest that will be at Stuff to Scrap!

January 11th, Stuff to Scrap is holding a Designer Darling competition for new designers looking for a home, and for designers just looking to expand their stores.

Come join the fun, get great feedback, ask questions, and participate for your chance to join Stuff To Scrap as a Designer Darling.

Sign ups going on now. Click HERE or the flyer to sign up. For questions go HERE.

Celebration

Shel has a new kit out today. 2 great things about it are that it is FREE and it is a COLLAB! Yay! Meaning you get two great kits for the extremely very low price of NOTHING. LOL. Anyway, it is called Celebration and it is a black, white, silver, and gold kit. I really struggle with kits that are mostly black and white, so I was very glad she gave this kit to us very early. I had a much better chance to make a LO I was proud of! I LOVE my LO! Here it is along with the previews, click them to go to the blogs to download.

I am pretty sure Jewel only leaves her portions up for 24 hours, so make sure you go back every day to get the next piece and don't wait to go or you will miss the papers!!! Shel leaves hers up all week, so you have time there. Have fun!!!

Homespun Christmas, Cheer, and Forest Fairy Frolic...Plus FREEBIE!

Several things to show you today. First up is Char's new kit called Forest Fairy Frolic. I totally forgot to blog about it when she released it, but I remembered to upload it to my galleries. Weird. Anyway, here is the preview and my LO. I decided this was the perfect kit to scrap a cast pic from A Midsummer Night's Dream. Click the preview to go to her store.

Next up are two kits from Shel. The first one was released at the beginning of this month as part of the STS blog train. I decided to make some gift tags from the kit. Here is my preview and hers, click on mine to download and hers to go to her store!

Shel also has a great kit out called Cheer. I LOVED this kit!! Here is my LO and her preview. Click it to go to her store. I titled this LO second dance because we are newlyweds here dancing at Brett's brother's wedding that was only 20 days after our wedding.

I used a template by Amy M Designs I believe. I can't remember right now....hmm, will have to look into that.

Hope you like! Have a great night!

Blog to Win Kits

So at STS there are some Blog to Win contests going on. All you have to do is blog about them and post your link in the appropriate thread. Anyway, I decided to do a few of them, so here are the kits!

First up is Snow Fever by Digi Designs by Nicole. I love the colors in this kit and her really cute snowman!! I have the perfect pictures to use with this kit. I really hope I get it! =) CLick the preview to go to her store!

Next is a kit called Winter Wonderland. One can never have too many winter kits! I just love baby blue and the glitter snowflakes in this kit. Click to go to the store!

Last, but not least is a HUGE pregnancy kit by Nibbles Skribbles. As I am hoping and PRAYING that this will happen to me soon, I would love this kit. I cannot wait to scrap pics of me getting bigger. CLick the preview to go to the store!

Well, that is all for now!

GS DAD

The team at Gingerscraps has a fabulous kit available on their blog. It is called Day in the Snow and it is huge and fabulous!!!!

The best part is while it is a download a day....you can download until January! How nice is that? That means you can go when you remember and get all the previous parts and you haven't missed anything. I love download a days like that. Sometimes life gets in the way and you forget. Usually for me it is the day with the really cute alpha or something. Sucky! Anyway, here is a LO I made with it and the preview for Day 1. Click the preview to go to the blog and download.

Snowy Night and SS

Two announcements for you tonight! First off, Steph is hosting a SS tomorrow. The PP is a gift certificate to her store! How can you go wrong? Here is the flyer with all the info you need.



Next up is that Janice has a new kit out today and guess what? Not only is it a FREEBIE kit, but it is a collab with two other fabulous designers...The Scrappy Kat and Flowerscraps.

It is such a huge and fantastic kit! You must go and grab it! Here are their previews and my LO. Janice's preview is linked to her blog. Have a great evening!

I used a template I got from Scrap Matter's mega template pack. 41 fabulous templates!!