Apple Annie News

A couple of years ago we took the kids out to Wilcox to visit Apple Annie's pumpkin and apple orchard.
It's an hour drive to get there and if you go on the right day it is wonderful to photograph.
Me being me I snapped photos from both farms to later scrapbook. This was one of my favorites from the trip.
The pumpkin season was over and Apple Annie's was asking all their Facebook fans to submit photos of their time there and someone was going to win a prize.
So of course I'm gonna enter.
This is the photo that I sent.
Two years later and a couple of nights ago I received an email from Anne of Apple Annie's asking to use this photo in their upcoming publicity.
I said yes.
I can't wait to see how or where they use this photo and I've asked for links to newsletters or advertisements so that I can show my family and friends.
I am very happy and honored that they chose this shot.
*Carrie*

Another school year has come to a close and part of me is very happy but another part of me already  ready to string them up. The fighting and yelling and wanting to do absolutely nothing has commenced.
We will be tackling that problem later today.

Congrats to both Kelly and Wyatt for getting High Honor Roll in their classes.
We already know for next year that Kelly will have Ms. Lux but we are wondering who Wyatt will have for his second grade teacher.

 

 Now it has become tradition for me to do a couple of things. One is to take a first and last day of school photo and second is to take a photo of each kid with their teacher.
Well this year I really blew it.
I'll preface it by saying I'm still learning how to use my camera.
Yeah that's true at least.
The setting for the kids' ceremonies were in the shade and the kids' backdrop was in full sun.
A tricky lighting situation that I have not mastered yet.
Wait, yes I kind of have, I just panicked and forgot

what to do.
So the first few shots of Kelly she are dark, then I remembered to use the flash and I changed other settings, but then I  forgot to change the setting back. I completely blew out the picture of Kelly and her teacher.
Then I decided to take Wyatt's picture with his teacher on the last day thinking it would be easier.
I should have listened to my gut.
Wyatt threw up during the night Wednesday and didn't tell us until Kelly went into his room and saw the chunkage.
Yes, I'm sorry but I said chunkage.
It was mentioned at the assembly that several students whom have had perfect attendance were

out sick with a stomach bug.
One of those students are Wyatt's friend and the other is his brother. Go figure.
We kept Wyatt home on the last day of school and I didn't get his picture with his teacher.
BUT, I got a story to tell and a photo of my sick boy on the couch.
That will go into his school album.
Also, Wyatt was just fine once we got home from dropping Kelly off. He complained that his stomach hurt and I think that is from his hurling his guts out.

Now as I'm writing this the kids are getting ready for me to take their end of the school year head shot.
It amazes me how much they change during the year.

*Carrie*

On Tuesday night we went to Wyatt's Boy scout graduation.
Wyatt is currently a Bobcat working towards being a Wolf.
Off comes the orange  kerchief and hat and now we start wearing the yellow everyone is most familiar with.
Wyatt was so excited that he started taking off his kerchief before he was suppose to and was being an all around goofball.

Each boy crossing over stopped to have their picture taken by us proud parents before heading over this awesome, handmade bridge to their pack leader to get their new kerchiefs and hats.
Also each boy received a plastic ball filled with candy and patches, belt loops and beads.

 Wyatt is enjoying his time being a scout and I really hope he goes far in the organization.

I think one of the highlights of the evening was when Kelly told me and then later told Wyatt how proud she was of him.

That warmed the cockles of my heart.

 Another highlight of the graduation was a slight changing of the guard.
Dennis, the current Cubmaster,and the one seen in most of these photos, is stepping down in his position to move up with his son and help his wife run the Webelos pack.
They having been recruiting Rob for a few months now and are very excited to see him take the reins.

Last week we went to the Boy Scout store to pick out his new uniform and patches. Rob was both excited and nervous about the upcoming changes.
I know I'm gonna get roped into helping him with stuff and I wonder how this will effect me with Girl Scouts.
But that's for another time.

 Here is Dennis handing Rob the keys to the building where we meet.
I can't remember what Dennis said that had Rob roaring in laughter but we all chuckled.
After Dennis stepped aside Rob gave a short speech thanking everybody and made sure that people knew that Dennis wasn't leaving, leaving he would be around every week that they meet so that if the boys would be more comfortable

in the transition.

Marty, our committee chairperson, presented Dennis with a lovely plaque and also thanked him.

Marty also had a nice gift for Rob.
One that had all us adults rolling.
A gift that Rob might tend to agree about before next graduation...

Yep, Rob received a big ol' sucker for taking the job!

We'll see, I know Rob will do great as a Cubmaster!
Love you honey.


*Carrie*

Not Yet

So we've been doing a lot of this since I stopped working and I will say we are doing a fairly good job with it.
The one thing that I want to document from this training time is Chelsea's habit of saying,"not yet".
We go in and get her situated and sometimes she'll pat the side of the tub and and tell me to sit down.
This directive can be said one of two ways; one is to say, sit down mommy or two is to say, have a seat there.
After hearing her do her business I'll ask her if she is done and almost always her answer is,"not yet".
Now this can go on for about five minutes before I'm done waiting and want to leave the bathroom.
Sometimes when she says, not yet, it can be in a sweet sing song voice and sometimes if I have asked one to many times she will growl it at me.
Lately she has taken a cue from her big sister and wants to bring a book in with her. I have found that this is not always effective because she won't go until she is done "reading"it.
I have begun to leave her alone in the bathroom, dangerous I know, and I'll pass by frequently to check on her and ask the question, "are you done?"
I just love to hear her say, not yet.
*Carrie*

Now dang it, I was not going to start ignoring my blog again but this past week I've been getting to know my new company better.
On April 27th, I signed up to be a Park Lane jewelry Fashion Director.
jewels by park lane

To say I'm jazzed is an understatement.

Back in 2008 my mom purchased a necklace for me called Sunburst and thus began my love for Park Lane.
Now, I've come to discover that the pictures, no matter how well taken do not always do the jewelry justice and I decided to book my own party.
Ahhh, I fell in love and put on my wish list many pieces. For every order I received I got $20 in free jewelry.
At my first party I got 10 orders, and 3 bookings, this translated to me that I earned $200 in jewelry, a single choice of a selection of necklaces for $10, and instyle bracelet for free, a free ring out of the 3 ring booking section and other hostess specials and deals.
Now fast forward to the last couple of months. I wear my Park Lane jewelry ALL the time and I'm constantly get compliments on it. While I was working for Murray's Business Service I talked about the jewelry whenever I received compliments, so much so that Art, my boss, kept suggesting that I work for the company and earn money.
Also during this time I was doing some heavy praying about working, daycare and finances. I was enjoying the work that I was currently doing, and I really enjoyed the paychecks, the only drawbacks were the hours I had to work and missing my family while I did it.
I know I'm thick headed, but I continued to pray for guidance on me finding something that would allow me being able to work from home, be flexible and still bring in some money to help contribute to the family.
As work was winding down the idea for working for Park Lane grew. I continued to ask my friend Suzie questions about how things worked. I loved that there are no quotas and that for the most part I am my own boss. I finally came to the realization that I'm a seller, or as us crafters like to call it an enabler. It's what I've always done.
This is just like when I demonstrated for Provo Craft. I loved the product, I used the product and I encouraged my friends to do the same.
Park Lane is another one of my passions. Since I started wearing it I feel better about myself, more feminine, I feel complete in my wardrobe and whether I'm wearing funky, fun pieces or classic pieces I know that I look good.
So far I've held two shows as a fashion director. I'm so used to going to shows that I know a lot about the jewelry but have never concentrated on getting sales and bookings, with the buying program the company has it's hard not to get sales but I'm working on how to convey to women that if you like the jewelry it really is worth your wile to host your own party. I will say that is a party, like a bunch of girls going through moms jewelry box discovering fun, new pieces.
Since I've covered the fun I had when I had a party here is the company buying program
1. If you spend $30, you get another item from the catalog up to $30 for only $12
2. If you spend $60, you get 2 other items from the catalog up to $60 for only $12 a piece
3. If you spend $90, you get 3 other items from the catalog up to $90 for only $12 a piece.
Example, say you find a necklace for $95 that you like, but you also like the bracelet and a couple of other earrings. Take all those smaller priced items and have them add up to $95. Then you get your necklace for $12, and two more necklaces for $12 a piece. That's $285 in bonus jewelry and you are going to pay $36 plus tax. HELLO!!
Not only that but your getting more pieces that were on your list and saving money.

Another example. Kelly's teacher wanted this necklace, bracelet and earrings. The retail total was $103. I told her with this months special that she needed to pick out a few more pieces that she was interested in. The teacher picked out another set of earrings and another necklace and earrings. Here is how it worked out.
Now remember she was planning on spending $103 BEFORE tax and shipping.
Earrings $23
Earrings $17
Earrings $22
total $62
bonus items
bracelet reg $26 for $12
necklace reg $42 for $12
necklace reg $ 59 for free (the free is just the customer special this month )
(that's $127 of jewelry for $24)
her total with tax and shipping was 99.33!!
I love *giving away* jewelry!

*Carrie*

With all that has been going on not only in my little world but the big world, I didn't announce to everyone that the one thing that I have been dreaming about and trying to save for has finally arrived.

I am now the proud new owner of the Canon 7D!!

Now do you want to know all the drama it has taken me to get this camera? Mind you the drama is still going on.

Get something to drink, maybe some popcorn and get comfy, this might get long. This will be your only warning.
Let's begin...
When I was working for the accountant I talked to some of the clients that were also interested in photography and at least two of them mentioned that I should look at eBay for buying my camera. So that night I searched and found a seller that had a return policy and would only take pay pal, for my protection and his, and would send a tracking number as soon as the item was sent. Thinking this sounded legit I placed a bid on a camera.
On 2/27 I won the bidding at $1375, almost 3 paychecks worth. 10 minutes after the time was up I sent my payment via pay pal. I checked daily to see if the camera had shipped. By the end of the week I emailed the seller asking when he was shipping. He stated that he had a death in the family and his assistant would mail it out, if I didn't have the camera by Friday let him know. So again I checked daily for a tracking number. That next Monday I lost it. I sent him an email stating that I wanted a tracking number or I was going to take this to eBay.
The seller apologized profusely and gave this sad story and said that he would refund me $20 and ship the camera. I agreed and by Friday I hadn't heard anything from the seller including a tracking number. I filed a report with eBay and they stepped in. The seller agreed to give me a refund so eBay closed my case. 3 weeks go by as I wait for the sellers refund to process through pay pal. After the second time it failed pay pal will no longer try to collect, this left me with going back to eBay and opening another case. eBay's buyer protection states that if, as in this case, a seller fails to give a refund, then eBay will refund the selling price and thus going after the wayward seller.
Now, here is where I'm at I was told that it would take 7-10 business days to put the money back into my pay pal account. At the 10 day mark I called eBay and was told to give it until Friday. Last Monday I called and spoke to another person, and yes I'm keeping track, this person sent in a payment something or other and said I should see the money in 48-72 hours. On the last day, which was this past Friday I received an email stating that eBay needed more time to investigate.
Seriously!! WTF!!
I have given them full access to my messages so that they can see that I have never stepped out of line or committed any crime.
I just want my freaking money back.
Thank you if you have read all of this. I'll be calling eBay again today to light a fire.
When this seller flaked and I was told I would be getting my money back I borrowed money from savings with the intention of putting in back when this fiasco was settled so that I could get my camera now because the price was going up.
Now I'm waiting on $1300 to put back in the savings account.
**As of May 8th the money has been returned to my paypal account, Yippeee!
*Carrie*

Osama Bin Laden dead

I remember turning on the TV one morning before getting ready to work and the screen was showing one of the twin towers burning.
I remember being confused at first and listening to Diane Sawyer from Good Morning America on the roof of the building relaying all the information that they knew.
Sadly, I remember seeing people jumping from windows into the Hudson river, knowing they wouldn't survive.
I sat there on my bed and watched the two towers now both burning and wondered how the fire fighters were going to put them out.
I sat there in stunned silence when I saw the first tower fall. I cried as I saw people running down a street that was covered in ash and smoke.
For days, weeks, we the people were glued to our TVs wanting answers and demanding that the person or people who did this would be caught and punished.
One man and his organization came forward to accept the responsibility for this horrible atrocity.
This man has been our #1 most wanted person. Dead or alive.
After 10yrs, two wars and thousands of our soldiers dead this heinous man has been found and killed.
And yet it feels like such a hollow victory.
I've heard that after the shoot out our military group secured his body where they did DNA testing to make sure it was him. I've read that his body has already been buried at sea.
I still feel hollow.
I'm happy knowing he is gone and yet I know another will rise up to take his place. This is a Jihad, a holy war for some extreme Islamic groups, namely Al-qaida. My terror hasn't lessened.
This will never be over, and I'm saddened.
I guess I want the satisfaction of seeing Bin Laden alive and watch him being punished. I realize this is like how we caught Saddam Hussein and watched his hanging. That justification, the want to see this man feel an ounce of the pain he has put our people through, that is the closure I seek. Alas I won't have that but...
I do take satisfaction in knowing that he will be judged for all eternity.
That brings a smile to my face.
 May God have mercy, just a teeny, weeny, itsy bitsy bit of mercy, on his soul.

Do you want to know how I really feel? I love how much this country came together, where it felt as if we were really united. I even enjoyed some of the songs that came from this tragedy, my favorites being from Toby Keith and Alan Jackson.
My heart hurts for the people that were lost and the few who took this opportunity to disappear from their families lives. There is still a hole in the ground where the two towers stood. A memorial is in the works. It will be 10 yr this September 11th and every year on this day I hold my breath, waiting to see if someone will use the anniversary to execute another attack.
It may have taken us 10yrs to get Bin Laden but some of my favorite lines of the Toby Keith song, Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue or known as the Angry American says:
Justice will be served
And the battle will rage
This big dog will fight
When you rattle his cage
And you'll be sorry that you messed with
The U.S. of A.
'Cause we'll put a boot in your ass
It's the American way

Yep, this sums it up perfectly.

*Carrie*