How to make Plastic Canvas Reindeer

I tried to upload my pictures showing the steps to make these cute little guys onto facebook, and so far I haven't been successful so, since the blog is public anyway I decided to write a little more detailed explanation on how to make these cute little guys, they're awfully easy, and absolutely adorable, and I just enjoy doing things like this.

THINGS YOU NEED:
Plastic canvas (I got mine from Wal-Mart in their craft section)
Brown Yarn
A needle that you can thread yarn into (it'll be pretty huge :P but I'm not a needle expert)
Black or Dark Brown Pipe Cleaners for the Antlers
Scissors
Googly eyes
Pom Pom (my kids call them fuzzballs) for the noses
Hot glue gun




First you cut it into squares that are 10x10 squares (I just count to ten and cut on the 11th one and then trim down the sides and start again)


You need three 10x10 squares to make 1 reindeer so make sure you cut enough for all the reindeer you want. I personally will cut some, sew some, then cut some more just to give my fingers a break from cutting.. because it IS plastic and it does make your hands blister so beware lol.




You start by pulling the yarn through and holding a tiny bit of the tail of the yarn so that it stays in place and then you sew a couple of times to get the tail to stay in place. (I am hoping I do not confuse anyone, but if I do, just email me, comment here, or talk to me on facebook and I'll clarify because I'm not the best at explaining these things...hopefully the pictures will help :P
Sew each of the squares so they look like this.
(this is the front)
(this is the back)

(You can sorta tell on the back where I secured the yarn at the end by going under a few stitches, you could also knot the yarn, but I just go under the stitches personally)








After the three squares are sewn, you need to put two squares together so the fronts of each are facing out (backs are together), and sew starting at a corner two sides and 1 corner like this.





The next thing you need to do is sorta pop it open by clenching the two sides together and place the third piece in it to sew another two sides and corner. Be careful about which sides you sew.





The finished sewn product looks like this. Then all you have to do is add the googly eyes, pom pom nose, and pipe cleaner antlers with a hot glue gun, stick a Hershey's kiss inside and voila! It's done :)
You DO sew the remaining sides (that forms the mouth) but not together.. because then you can't open the mouth to put the kiss inside :)

The Amazingness that is Texting...

So about a month or so ago Brad and I switched our cell carrier from TMobile to Verizon where we picked up a texting package. Unlimited texting has proven to be quite a blessing. My dad and I rarely spoke before I got texting, and it's not because either of us wanted it that way, it's just how things were...we were too busy with work (him) or taking care of kids (both of us) and I started to take the time each week to try to call him, but that never worked out either...Texting has helped us so much! We went from very rarely talking to texting each other everyday!!! I used to honestly think evil thoughts about those people that walked through the store while they were busy texting/talking on their phones and now I have become one!! *LOL* I have enjoyed getting to know my daddy once again because for a while there we were really out of touch, and we both admitted this, and we both feel like we've gotten to know each other a lot recently. It's a good feeling. I am so far away from my family that I can't see them all the time, and I haven't seen my dad in five years almost, and I do miss him lots, and just being able to talk to him whenever I want lately has been such a wonderful blessing.

Ten years ago

I found out I was pregnant with Saria I BELIEVE the 26th of September, 2000. So, 10 years ago. I wasn't really planning on ever making a post regarding this, but since my blog is now private (at least I hope it is LOL) I guess I will post about it :). I really don't look at it as a negative thing, even with me still being in High School...becoming a mother was the single most important thing I've ever done with my life, or ever COULD do in my life. It worked out for me, and it worked out for Brad, and for that we are obviously eternally grateful, but I wouldn't recommend it to anyone else. We DID make some pretty selfish choices, neither of us had jobs that could support a child, IN FACT to this day I've never had a job, but Brad really stepped up and was willing to do anything to provide for his child and he ended up joining the Air Force for that reason. I remember graduating HS with a one month old baby girl, and immediately getting married and moving to North Carolina and starting off on our own. It wasn't even scary for me, it was totally comfortable, I just felt I was where I should have been. In fact, I think the scariest thing about it all was that Saria had a cold for the first time and I freaked out about that, being a new mother with a sick baby scared me. Everything just felt right. I remember starting out with just a recliner and a 13 inch T.V., and though somedays I wish we were back to that, I look around and see exactly how far we've come, how much we truly are blessed, and I am grateful :)

Another step in the right direction.. I hope

So my ten year reunion is fast approaching and I have been fighting within myself, I want to go, I don't want to go, I want to go, I don't want to go...I don't really consider anyone my "friends" because I haven't really kept in touch with anyone, and yet at the same time I have a lot of wonderful people on facebook that occasionally talk to me or that I will occasionally shoot a message to. Those people are one of the biggest reasons I've decided that I DO want to go. I know that in the past people were jerks to me, and heck.. I know for a fact I was a jerk to a few people, but I also know that while everyone isn't going to change...that MOST of us have. Sooooo, yes if we have the money, I will be going back to Alabama for a few weeks next summer. I will be alone, which..if you read my previous post you know how big of a thing that is for me, and that is also a reason I want to do it so bad. I NEED to get out of this shell that has been sooo tightly placed around me. I haven't been in Alabama since February of '07 when we said goodbye to my folks and headed up here. Four years is a long time for me...
I can't lie, I really have been avoiding OZARK like the plague everytime I did go home because the house I "grew up" in has been removed so that the little airport there can expand, at least I think that's why...Anyway, it's a really silly reason to avoid the town you grew up in, but to ME...it feels like I CAN'T go back home because the home is gone, and I know.. I know how silly that sounds because even if the house WAS still there, my parents aren't living in it, but I would be able to go drive past it and REMEMBER lots of things. I'm going to do it.. as close as I can to where the house once stood, I will drive by, and I will remember.
Of ALL the vivid dreams I've had in the past ten years, the ones I had of my house that I grew up in were the most vivid. They ALL involved water to a degree too, which I find HILARIOUS since we had a pool in the backyard AND it seemed we had a natural spring or something too because it didn't matter what day of the week, month of the year it was our HUGE backyard WAS ALWAYS WET.

I have also planned (so far with just my dad, but I plan to ask my mom as well) to spend the day with each of my parents, just me and them. I have already talked to Brad about this as well, and I think at this point in my life that it's absolutely essential in my "moving forward, forgiving and letting go" to have a 1 on 1 with each of my parents without the kids there to interrupt or distract. It will give me the time to say what I need to say to them, because I really do NEED to say a lot. I think that above everything else, my PARENTS are what is pulling me to Alabama, the reunion will just be an added bonus.
I think this will be a positive experience, it will force me to grow up, to not be so scared of people and crowds, to form the relationships with my parents that should already exist, and most importantly, to let go..to forgive myself, to move on, and HAVE FUN!!!!

Admitting is the first step

I have had a lot on my mind lately, and I have no idea where to begin because there are several different things that do not come close to relating to one another that I would like to express. I guess I'll start with this one.. and see where I go, sorry ahead of time if I don't make any sense hahah.

When I was in kindergarten I was involved with a play called "The Three Billy Goats Gruff" and I am sure everyone knows what that is. Anyway I was the middle billy goat (I really wanted to be the baby one but that went to a friend/classmate named Chris, funny how I can remember this...) It got time for me to say my lines, and GUESS WHAT? I forgot them. I was 5 or 6 years old at the time...but I remember hearing laughter in the gym and sadly, it scarred me for life. Ever since THAT moment I have been extremely socially...what is the word...anti social I guess. I have been known to skip school on oral report days, I have even had a few class meltdowns, and sometimes I've repeated myself over and over through shaking limbs and an overwhelming sensation that instead of everyone else being naked.. I myself am...it's not an easy life to live. As a teenager I didn't let this consume my social life. I had friends, went on dates, had boyfriends, hung out with friends, etc BUT to some degree it did effect my life as a teenager too. I started to go online for friendships/relationships and I found it easier to speak with my real life friends over the internet. This is weird to admit because ONCE UPON A TIME I would spend EIGHT hours straight at a time talking to one individual...
It isn't an easy life to live. I have no clue what I am so scared of, and the thought of speaking to people individually doesn't upset my stomach or make me want to hide in bed, but thinking about groups of people really scares the heck out of me. I have a very limited number of friends, sure my definition of "friend" has changed over the years, it used to mean someone that had your back, was there to talk to, you fought with over the STUPIDEST things and made up the next day like nothing happened...now a "friend" is mostly someone you can count on to talk to you when you need a shoulder. I think of all things in my life there are to regret, the fact that I didn't keep many friends is one of them . I realize as an adult how crucial that friends are for your sanity.

Sometimes you just have to stop and get on your knees

Today has been a nightmare to say the least. It started out okay, if you consider waking up to 3 kids arguing about who pushed who okay. Saria, Sam, and Ben like to play this game called "Super Smash Brothers"...only THEIR version is not different characters from video games beating the crap out of each other on a platform, it's THEM imagining they are different characters beating the crap out of each other on my couch. I think that Saria was "The Master Hand" and Sam was "Kirby" and Ben was "Bumblebee" (who, might I add is not even a character in the actual game, but kids have such imaginations that anything is possible :P) Anyway, they've been told time after time to not play this game because it's not only dangerous in that they push each other off the couch to determine who wins, but they hit and kick and sometimes even bite each other in order to achieve their goal of being the "winner" What do moms know right?! That's where accident number 1 happens. Ben runs up to us with SUCH panic in his voice, totally FREAKING out "I GOT BLEEDING I GOT BLEEDING!" and blood is just dripping out of his nose. Nothing really worrisome, he gets nosebleeds often, especially if someone accidentally kicks him in the face, which is what he told us happened...


I have to add that I am so thankful that hubby is home because for SOME REASON ever since I have become a mother.. the sight of blood FREAKS me out and makes me VERY nauseated...in fact..the other day we were grilling hotdogs and there was only the tip of the bottle left of ketchup and LO AND BEHOLD when hubby opened the bottle it splattered all over his hand... and THAT even nauseated me because it LOOKED like blood to me...(pathetic I know haha)back to the story..


So hubby thankfully stops Ben's nose from bleeding, I try to comfort him as best as I can from a distance, and all is well for about another hour or two.

Saria and Sam were in the garage playing while Ben was outside by himself (which I have always hated for this reason and usually make one of the other ones go play with him just so he's not by himself.. dunno why I didn't do that today, but I will be kicking myself in the butt for a long time because of it...) Anyhoo, he comes running towards the house and just BLOOD curdling screams of PAIN and his finger is dripping blood. Apparently he dropped a huge rock on his finger.. that was one of two coherent things I could get from him.. the other was "Sam couldn't help me!!" He is so used to having his brother by his side..I think he was more scared that he was alone than of what happened to his finger, and I think that's what broke my heart the most as well.

We get his finger all cleaned up, and hubby bandages it with two butterfly bandages because its a pretty nasty split finger and about an hour later hubby notices it's turning purple..that's when I told hubby he needed to take Ben to the Emergency Room...which is where he's at as I type this. I forgot to mention that pretty much the entire time Ben's finger has been hurt, he's off and on (mostly on) screaming about being in a lot of pain. When hubby took him, his finger was seeping blood, it was purple on the end tip, and it was still split open. He's clearly in a lot of pain, so I hope whatever they do at the hospital helps him to not be in so much pain.


The one thing that really touched me through all of this, was me asking Ben through his cries of pain if he wanted to get on his knees and say a prayer with me. He told me that he did... and he proceeded to say a little prayer and then we finished up with a prayer from myself and honestly, I felt more calm, and more at peace. My four year old son KNEW that a prayer would help in his time of need. I think that little gesture taught me so much. Kids are so wonderful :)

I will have to post an update on his finger later when I know more.

A Trip Down Memory Lane

Last night, or rather this morning.. I went on a trip. :) I was awake at three am because Brad was working and I can never fall asleep easy with him working at night. I was so tired, so unbelievably tired from the day before, but because he was not there I did not feel as safe and was worrying myself to a place where I could not sleep. That's when I decided that I had had enough Hulu.com for the day, brushed my teeth, turned the lights in the living room off, took my contacts out, and eventually got on my knees and said perhaps the longest and most heartfelt prayer I've ever prayed in my life. Immediately I felt so much better. I looked up to see our "memory" box sitting on the chair in our bedroom and I grabbed it and started to look through it. You know something absolutely amazing? I was absolutely head over heels in love with my husband before we were married, while we were dating. He kept pretty much every ticket stub from every movie we saw together, we kept silly things like napkins from junior prom (which turned out to be a good thing since I didn't quite make it to my senior prom..), stars that were laid on the table as part of the centerpiece for a JROTC Ball, and pretty much every letter we wrote back and forth to each other. I have the imagination of a child sometimes and when I was reading these things, I was 10 years younger and actually remembering the circumstances and events we went through. Brad had the ability to make me laugh, and not just laugh... but cheer me up in the darkest of moments. He had the ability to make me smile by just being there, he did so many sweet things that made me fall head over heels for him. He stuck with me in times that no one else did, he loved me, and as I was reading these memories...I honestly FELT how much he loved me. That is when the realization hit. I was back in real time, 10 years later, and I realized this man STILL loves me, still makes me laugh, still cheers me up in moments that I really need it. I am so extremely LUCKY!! I have been married to my best friend for 9 wonderful years, been with him for over ten, and though we've had a lot of rough spots in that time, our love is strong, and can overcome most anything. I love my husband so much, and I do not know what I would do without him in my life.