My Momma's Gone

(picture taken at H's pinewood derby. One regret I have is that I didn't get my parents to sit for a better picture.)

Today, early this morning (at "o-dark thirty" as my Dad would say) my parents embarked on their move BACK to the Kansas City Missouri area. They were here by me for just over a year. I'm kinda sad to let them go. At the same time, I know that they loved living in that area when they lived there before (they are moving back to the same suburb even) and I'm really proud of my Dad. He works for Comcast selling commercial internet services and such. He's pretty good at it. So good that Comcast wanted him to come to the KC area to start up the same kind of sales there. It'll be a good thing overall, but today, I'm kinda sad that my Mom is gone, and that we didn't have enough time to do all the things we talked about doing when they moved here last May. I don't really have regrets about much--we did a lot while we could. We just ran out of time.

Maybe we'll go to Missouri for Christmas.

One thing for sale...

In my Etsy Shop! (I've only had the shop for well over a year now...). It's not much, but it's a start! I hope to add more things over the next few weeks.

That's all for now!

A new Go-See for you!

I was following some blog links and ended up on Poppytalk this morning. Scrolled through the site until I found the "something special" article tag for the artist Cathy Nichols. I really fell in love with her work---and loved it even more when I recognized my favorite paper line in her work--Basic Grey! Cathy has a blog, and an etsy shop, as well as her main website. You should look at everything!

Really such lovely work. Go See and be inspired!

Spiderman, Spiderman, Does Whatever a Spider Can

Overheard from C's booster seat as he played with a black costume Spidey toy:

"Where is Mary Jane Watson! Where is she!" (said in a mean, gruff, low-pitched voice)

"I don't know Man!" (in a small quavering voice)

"Where is Mary Jane Watson. Where is Mary Jane Watson!"

"I don't know!"

"Where is Mary Jane Watson! Is she in the other movie with Doc Ock?"

File this under Surprising Animal Pictures

Or maybe, file under "Inappropriate Animal Pictures." We caught this picture on our first trip through Yellowstone. This big guy was blocking traffic. I was thrilled that he stopped when we passed by him, (he was on the left/driver's side of our car and I was in the passenger side). Then we smelled why he was stopped. Um, Yeah, that was part of the nitty gritty real Yellowstone experience.

Sort of reminds me of some slides my Dad took of the Ostriches during one of my childhood visits to the Wilhelma Zoo in Germany. (I didn't get it until later). Let's just say that the Ostriches were getting very friendly with each other. I'm just carrying on the proud (?) Reese tradition of Inappropriate Animal Pictures. Just doin' my part to keep it real, people.

And for what it's worth, I LOVED the Wilhelma Zoo. I was 5 when we first started going there. To me, it was a magical place. I'd love to go there again.

We pause to bring you this special announcement...

Kathy Mack, at Pink Chalk Studio does the most AMAZING art with fabric! You really should go-see this RIGHT NOW!

I'm talking about this: Joy Ride Album.

Oh man! She does good work!

some promised pictures!

Me and SOY Elizabeth Kartchner. I actually recognized her husband first (he said it was a first). She was very gracious. It was very early (we woke up at 6am) so I'm not wearing any makeup. That's all my real skin. I think it looks pretty good for it's age!

Sunrise through a valley in the Wasatch Mountains. This is where the balloon lift for the Provo Freedom Festival took place.

I have more pictures of the balloons in my flickr account. You can see more there, as well as a whole lot of Yellowstone pictures.

My house is a jumble of stuff--my parents are moving and have given us a TON of things to sort through--so my blogging time will be short (but hopefully sweet!). I have more to share about Yellowstone (truly a wonderful, almost life-changing {yes I know that's corny} experience), more papercrafting projects to share, and more thoughts on life!

Enjoy these small tidbits for now.

Back from Yellowstone!

I have A LOT to share--what a wonderful week! Aside from lovely visits with the Nelson Family in Utah, (where I literally ran into Creating Keepsake's Scrapbooker of the Year Elizabeth Kartchner) and seeing the beauties of Mt. Timpanogos and having fun at Seven Peaks Water Park.

Yellowstone was AMAZING! We saw a pack of wolves, several bears, many, many bison and elk, a pack of coyotes, two wolves fighting with a grizzly over a bison carcass, a pair of nesting bald eagles, walked around MANY geysers, got sprayed by Old Faithful (it was windy) twice (saw it blow 4 times), and generally fell in love with the whole experience. Although I'm probably never going to tent camp there. I just don't want to be THAT close to my wildlife!

All my pics are on the lap top, so I'll be posting later. Just wanted you to know that we made it home in one piece!

Family Reunion

Well, we'll be heading out to Utah soon. I'll leave you with pics from my friend's beach house (although, technically it's on a lake near the beach) where I just went for a 3-day scrabooking retreat.

*sigh*. It was truly lovely to be there, without kids, hanging with some of my best friends (we've been retreating together for several years now) and knowing that I wouldn't have to clean up after anyone but myself. I made 50 cards and 12 scrapbooking pages. I'll take pics and show you later.