http://scrappingwithbuffie.blogspot.com/
I’ve started a new blog (because one blog just isn’t enough) that will be dedicated to my paper crafting.
In my head I call it “my business blog” and I call this one my “useless blog“. Now someone needs to go sign up to follow it…
it’s very lonely in the business blog!
(it's pink so you'll love it there!)
There is a link in "my links" on the left side of this blog.

Happy New Year!

It’s a COLD and sunny day today. Last night we had a crazy snow storm that under normal circumstance I would have loved. But I was at my Mother’s house yesterday and by the time I left for the long drive over the Big River, thru Albuquerque and across the mountains the roads were BAD. I-40 east of the city was snow packed and very slippery. You couldn’t see the lines in the road so there was no way of telling if you were in a lane, or even on the road for that matter. It was snowing rather hard and the wind was blowing. I had both girls with me, Lauren was helping me by watching for the lines in the road, and Savanna worried in the back seat (because that’s what Savanna does). Once we got off the interstate things got worse. Of course there had been no snow plows in Edgewood so you really couldn’t see the road. As we inched our way down Dinkle road Lauren noticed foot prints on the side of the road that went on for a number of miles. We debated if it was human or dog, and came to the conclusion that it must be human…. Or dog. But what man or beast would be out on a night like this? As we came upon our street we saw a man walking. I tried to stop to see if he needed help, but I slid past him. As he came up on my truck I asked if he was OK, and he said, “yes, my car wouldn’t start and I needed to go to Walmart.” I told him that it was still a long way, and he said, “no I’m almost there”. Ummmm it’s like another 3 miles I informed him, and told him that if he wanted to ride in the back of my truck I’d take him the rest of the way. So he jumped in the bed of my truck and away we went. It was then that I felt the urge to lecture my girls on the dangers of picking up strangers on the side of the road. And I assured them that if it wasn’t for the pick up truck and him being able to ride in the back I NEVER would have done this, and that I was in complete control of the situation…. I could keep an eye on him, and if I felt like we were in danger I would simply slam on my breaks and he would fly out of the back of the truck bed (never mind that we would be in the ditch right next to him).
I pulled up to Walmart and he jumped out and thanked us. I might add that NO ONE was at Walmart due to the storm so he wouldn’t have to wait in line to check out. There was a big part of me that wanted to go in and follow him around the store to see just what it was that he needed so bad to walk in a blizzard miles to get. Another part of me wanted to go back and find the foot prints and follow them back to see how far he really had walked, but I was sure that the snow and wind would have covered them by now…. And really I just wanted to get home, so that’s what we did.

Christmas Caviar

Scott received a gift basket from work this year. It was full of all sorts of goodies, and not so goodie goodies. To Lauren’s delight it had a jar of caviar. She’s never had caviar before, but really wanted to try it. She wanted to break it open on Christmas morning so she could share it with her cousins. MMMMM

Yipppppeeeeee….. A new Christmas laptop!

Scott knew how much I was missing my dead laptop, and how I was really struggling with our slow ten year old desk top computer. So on Christmas Eve he surprised me with a new laptop. And it really was a surprise! I hadn’t asked for one, knowing that “in these hard economic times” it wasn’t a reasonable request, and that I could just make due with the super slow computer for now. So I asked for birdhouses (which Scott has made me before, and I knew he had wood to make more) and something to play my ipod in the kitchen. I got the birdhouses, the ipod player, AND then he pulls out one more box, and it was a shinny new laptop!!!!! What a wonderful surprise, and truly appreciated. Now I can (with ease) load and edit pictures, buy music on itunes, and load audio books on my ipod, lay in bed and play solitaire, keep up with my blog and Close To My Heart website. Yip…. I’m a wantabe computer nerd….. A happy, new laptop owning computer nerd!

Christmas morning was full of our traditional family activities. Rebbie and the girls showed up early. Rebbie was hopped up on cold medication and Krispy Kream doughnuts. She was worse then the kids when it came to waiting to open the gifts….. She kept coming at me like a spider monkey! Once Nana, Pops and Nano showed up the gift exchanging began. Now that the girls are older we like to take our time opening gifts. We go around the room and everyone takes turns opening a gift. This way we can see what everyone is getting and from whom. I like this so much better then the way it use to be when it was a free for all Christmas gift frenzy. I never knew what my girls got, or who it came from. Now I know, and everyone gets a chance to enjoy their giving as well as being able to be thankful for the receiving.

Then we move on to Scotts yummy dinner. His favorite thing to make on Christmas is prim rib. We also have ham, homemade mac and cheese, cheesy potatoes (Nana’s special dish) cream spinach and artichoke (Lauren’s specialty) and posole stew (thanks to Rebbie). After we all have our fill we break out the birthday cake and sing happy birthday to Jesus. This year I made Jesus a chocolate covered cherry cake.

One of the days highlights was Rebbie “trying” to teach me to knit. Ugh…. She makes it look so easy, and we all received wonderful knitted gifts from her (gloves, socks, mittens)…. Trust me, it’s not easy, and there will be no knitted gifts from me under the tree next year!

All in all Christmas was wonderful, full of family, fun, and traditions we all hold dear. The one big part missing was Rebbie’s eldest daughter Kristen. She and her new husband John stayed at home in Virginia and started their own family traditions. We missed them dearly, but understand their desire to enjoy their first Christmas in their own home. AND with the snow storms that covered most of the country there is a good chance they would have spent Christmas in an airport if they had tried to come. (I’m glad they were home safe and sound).

Pre Christmas frenzy

Why oh why does it have to be this way?


Last week is still a blur for me. Savanna's science fair project was due, along with a project for her Spanish class. She had a choir concert, and school parties. Justin had a choir concert, and the annual Madrigal dinner. It was my last week of work until after the New Year, so I had to finish up my work, and help tie up loose ends here and there. Scott and I had a dinner to attend, and he left for El Paso for a company Christmas party over the weekend.
We started the week with Lauren's wisdom teeth removal and ended the week with knee surgery for Justin. And I had a sinus infection thru it all.

This week is much better, Lauren is recovered, Savanna is relaxing at home (and not yet bored), my shopping is mostly done, gifts are wrapped and Scott is home. ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh
Now we can just pause and remember the gift of the season, and what Christmas is really all about.
My goal this week: To fill my heart with the baby Jesus, and give thanks for the gift of salvation He was born to bring to us. I hope each of you take the time to just sit in calm silence and reflect on the greatest gift of all.

Out of control blogging

I felt the need to over blog today.

1. Because I had a snow day today, and some extra time on my hands.
2. I had my pictures put on a CD so I could get them on my computer.
(Laptop is still dead.)
C. I feel behind... and there is lots of "stuff" going on here.

We've had a few nice snow storms (my favorite) and I went to Advent Fest at Rainbow Trail Lutheran Camp last weekend with my sister and Lisa. We met up with our dear friend Roberta (from Denver). We had a nice, relaxing, fun time, and even got to battle our way home thru a snow storm in Colorado.





Lauren is taking finals this week at NMSU. So far she thinks it going well, but her two hardest ones are still to come. She'll be home this weekend for a month... in which time she'll be getting her wisdom teeth ripped out! She's so happy about that... HA

Gabby the Labradoodle impersonator.

It's a really long story, so I wont go into it... but Gabby isn't a labradoodle, she's a Kuvasz aka fierce guard dog. We still love her just as much as when she was a labradoodle, but now the way we teach her to behave is total different. We are in our 5th week of obedience training, and while she's at doggy school she's top of her class. But once we get home she's CRAZY. Scott has to run with her 4 miles each day, or she's bouncing off the walls. She is unbelievably smart, and loves to watch TV... her favorite show is Dogs 101, but she'll watch just about anything.
While in AZ they must have shaved her, because now she's growing in this fluffy, curly, thick coat of fur. She has loved the snow storms we've had over the past couple of weeks, and I have to bribe her to come in from the cold. Just the opposite of Jester the Greyhound who flat out refuses to go out on the frozen tundra.
If you want to read more about this rare breed visit this web site.
http://www.kuvasz.org/