About 16 years ago.......

Just about this time 16 years ago, I met a wonderful 3 year old little boy for the first time. This adorable little boy is actually my brother, Vinnie. I can remember the excitement I had, since I had been an only child, I always wished for a sibling. A part of me was upset for my parents not telling me about him until then, but I was in the moment, and all I could feel was joy. Well, that evening my parents took me and Vinnie to the Fairfield Lancaster Fair. The memory of this is still so fresh in my mind, like it was yesterday.

A few years later, Vinnie had to move away, as his mom was moving to Indiana. It wasn't until recently that I remembered that day I had to say goodbye to him before he moved. How can the little brother that I just met a few years earlier? Would I ever get to know him? I can now recall how I felt, and being so incredibly upset, it's no wonder I chose to block that out. Over the years, I missed him so much. It wasn't until I lived on my own that I got to see him again. Again, over the next few years, life just seemed to get in the way and there were years that I didn't see him.

Vinnie is a Freshman this year at Ohio State (Newark campus) and moved back to Ohio in August. He called me at the end of August to see if he could come and see us. I was just so excited! Well, he was standing at my front door I realized my little brother isn't so little anymore; in fact, he is way taller than I am. He isn't a cute adorable little boy, he has grown into a handsome young man. Again, part of me was so excited and the other part of me was honestly a little nervous. Here is the wonderful young man, but I hardly know anything about him. Is he going to even remember anything about me? Is he going to be willing to get to know each other, since it was more like being strangers than siblings? I was hoping the answer was yes, and it was.

So it's been almost 8 weeks since he has been back in my life, and it has been so wonderful having him in my life again. Ashley and Katie just adore their "Uncle Vinnie" and I'm so thankful they will get to know him. I actually wish he didn't live all the way in Newark, but he doesn't seem to mind driving out here, so we are getting to hang out pretty regularly. Since the Lancaster fair was going on, I thought we had to go together. He doesn't remember going or any of the weekend when we first met (again, he was only 3), but I think he understood why I wanted to take him. So, here is a picture of us Saturday night. Isn't he handsome?

How did I accumulate so much stuff?!?!?

Oh holy scrapbook piles!! It just amazes me how much stuff I've accumulated since 2004 when I started scrapbooking. I've been trying to work on going through my things and finding some way to organize my things, but easier said than done. I just have no idea what to do with all this stuff! I have actually thrown quite a bit away, have some drawers with things for the girls to use, and have a nice little stash ready for the next CS garage sale, but still, OMG!!! I'm sure it doesn't help that I'm absolutely terrible at organizing, but I sure am trying. I may need to call in reinforcements!! So, if anyone wants to come and risk your life in my scrapbook dumping ground, please let me know! lol!! Just be sure someone knows where you are, just in case you don't make it out alive!!

I feel "scrappy" again!!

First of all, don't fall out of your chair when you see that I posted to my blog two days in a row!! Maybe this time I'll actually do it from time to time!

After being in a scrapping slump for several months, I finally feel like I'm in the mood to scrap again! FINALLY!! Of course, it hasn't stopped me from going out from time to time, but I just couldn't feel it for whatever reason. I had my Columbus Scrappers Retreat last weekend, and I must have been inspired or something, cause I'm ready to scrap!! For the first time ever I completed the retreat project at the retreat! I've got a few that have been started, I just never actually completed them. Over the next few weeks I think I'll try to get some of these unfinished projects and try to get them done.

I'll have to take some pictures of the things as I make them! I'm hoping to have a few holiday workshops for the ladies in my neighborhood, so I'll be sure to share those as well.

Piggyback rides have a whole new meaning in our house.....

I don't know if this is as funny retelling this story, but I was laughing so hard I thought I was going to pee myself.

Ashley and Katie were with my mom for a while on Sunday. Before mom brought the girls back, she took them to a dog park by her house. I guess the place was packed, freaking dogs everywhere. So this is the story I get when the girls get out of the car Sunday....

Ashley- "Mommy, we went to the dog park and there were lots of doggies. Some of the doggies were peeing on each other. Then, one dog who got peed on must have gotten mad or something, cause he went and jumped on the other dogs back! Then, that doggie started to walk away with the dog on it's back- it was giving the other dog a piggyback ride!!" You gotta love kids and their simple minds, right?

Oh, I thought I was going to loose it! Hey, at least it didn't bring up questions that I'm not ready to answer, right? So now that is the new term for 'getting it on' at my house- Adrian loves to ask me now if he can have a piggyback ride; hey, as long as he doesn't pee on me first, right? I really should smack him.

I am the worst blogger ever.....

So evidently, I've had a blog since February. I thought I'd try to blog more often, but that obviously didn't happen, so maybe I'll try again. We'll see......

Blogging.......

So, I guess I'm gonna try out this whole blogging thing. I feel like I'm the only one without a blog!! I'll work on trying to keep everything updated here!

Thanks for stopping by!

~Gina