Recent Photos

Here are some recent photos of the girls. I'm still figuring out my new camera (Name still pending. Send those names in!) so I've been going a little bonkers with the photos.

Here are

I'm in LOVE!

After several months of not so subtle hinting and countless hours of research and price comparisons I welcomed a new camera into my life.

VIDEO:
http://s26.photobucket.com/albums/c134/trunneka/?action=view&current=MOV00602.flv





I have to admit that this camera is so intense that I'm a little intimidated by it. But I am up to the challenge. Such a fabulous camera!!!

I am so excited about my new toy that I've decided it needs a name. I don't want to refer to it as 'The new camera' or 'The nice camera'. I'm looking for something the makes me smile and has a little pizazz. So. . . here is your challenge. What should I name my new camera and why? The winner will get a little care package from me.

So start posting those name choices. I can't wait to see what you come up with. I'll admit I'm leaning towards a boy name since there are so many ladies in the house. But. . . it can be a boy or girl. Heck unisex name even.

Madison

Nick, the girls and I went to Madison on Saturday for his Aunt's wedding. Congratulations Marilyn andIt was a whirlwind 24 hours but we were able to have fun none the less.

As soon as we got into town on Sat we went to the Henry Vilas Zoo. It was packed but we still had a great time.

Bennet's favorite animal- the lion.

Scout chilled out with her snacks. Good to go.

Bennet bolted towards the goats as soon as she saw them. I'm telling ya- the girl is fearless. Nick preferred to watch Scout so I helped feed them :)

After several pumps of antibacterial soap and a good hand washing it was onto popcorn. She may give her Aunt Megan a run for her money. She loves po-co!

Looks like the Polar Bear from Lost escaped.

The first ride on the carousel. B asked very enthusiastically do go again so I took her the second time. Ah- to be 2 1/2. Saturday she turned 2 1/2 or 2 point 5 as she says.

We met up with our friend Brett for the tailend of our zoo visit. He took a family photo for us and I realize that I didn't get one with him. Where is my head. It was good to see you Brett!! Next time we'll have more time.

Scout doing her best Billy Idol impression- It's a nice day for a white wedding :)

Playing with Dad's ties. She only wanted to wear her Crocs. Forget the fancy dress shoes.

Both girls were too excited at the hotel to sleep so poor Sciz was just tuckered. Not her normal smiley self. Plus we're all fighting colds. All cuddled up with Dad.

Our feeble attempt at a self portrait.
Mmm. . . cake. We have 20 of these cupcakes in our fridge. So much for a bikini bod by the 4th of July (oozing with sarcasm here) I love this photo

The wedding was at The Edgewater Hotel. We had a breathtaking view of Lake Mendota from our room. Fell asleep to the sound of the lake.

Tid Bit

I've been trying to get in the habit of making a card with scraps as soon as I'm done with a layout. That way I'm using scraps and building up my card supply. Here is an example.

Today- I'm going to heaven

I swear this stuff only happens to me. Last week in was baby goats and this week it's children.

I was driving home from work for lunch today through downtown Wausau on 5th St. 5th St. is a busy street in town. I pull up to the stop light and out of the corner of my eye I see a little boy wandering through the street and yards. He looked to be about Bennet's size so I was guessing 2 1/2. Not an age to be out unsupervised.

There was a gentleman (Let's call him Al) standing outside his car trying to get the boy's attention. The boy just keep running. And let me tell you this kid has some Carl Lewis genes. F-aaaaast with a capital F!! My first thought was- get him to stop moving near traffic. My second thought was- I have a car seat if we need to transport him to his parents or the police station. I immediately pull over, put on my hazzards, lock the car and start bookin' after the child. Now for those of you who know me know that I am not in shape by any stretch of the imagination. And running with jeans and heels is not easy :)

I catch up with Al in a parking lot behind a church. (Matt & Katie- the church where Luke & Renee were married) Al is on the phone with what I assume to be the police. He says, "I can't get him to stop" My response, "Well just run up and pick him up." Classic Mom response. The little boy is still crusing at mach 5 with his hair on fire scaling down a brick wall toward 3rd St and Fulton. With sweat trickling down my brow I catch up to the boy and turn him around. I immediately see that he has Down Syndrome. Oh man- I don't want to scare him. I ask him to hold my hand which he does. I hoist him back up the wall onto the parking lot. Off he runs again.

Here is where my nightly GiggyGack rides with Bennet come in handy. I realize that the only way to keep him still is to put him up. I hoist him up on my shoulders. Based on his weight I'm guess he's 3 1/2 or 4. We passed the time waiting for the police by looking at our reflection in the church windows and waving. He had a good time playing with my hair and resting his head on the top of mine. An incredibly sweet boy.

The officer showed up and told me the boy's name (Let's call him Marty to protect his innocence) and that a call had already been placed looking for him. He had snuck away from daycare. The person that came to pick him up was the daughter of the daycare owner. In my opinion she did not understand the severity of what could have happened. She was almost non-chalant about it. When the officer asked her how old he was she said "Oh I don't know. 5? He's not mine. I was helping my mom at daycare." Considering I was choking back tears I guess I expected more emotion. I'm sure it will hit her later.

As a mom of two little kids I understand what can happen in the short moments you aren't looking. I get that. Trust me- not a day goes by where one of them isn't getting into something they shouldn't. And Bennet goes to a wonderful inhome care provider. (Amy- you're the BEST!) But when you have a special needs child you need to be all the more vigilant. What would have happened had his parents come to pick him up tonight to hear "We can't find him" or worse. That little boy is lucky he wasn't hurt or killed.

I passed Marty off to the woman and the officer. As time went away I got to thinking. I hope his parent's find out what happened today. Yes- I am one of those people who calls the police department to make sure that happens. I know mistakes happen but as a parent I'd want to know about it. I called the Police Department after lunch since I couldn't stop thinking about wanting to make sure his parents were aware of what happened to their son. The Lieutenant on duty assured me that the parents are always notified in cases like this. Here is the path that Marty may have taken today.

My heart is heavy when I think of what could have happened to sweet Marty today. Someone was truly looking out for him. My heart is light when I realize that I helped get him home safe and sound. In the right place at the right time.

This is what I learned about myself today:

A. I need to start working out more.

B. I am one cool cucumber under pressure.

C. My instincts are fine tuned instruments!

D. I think I can have a few sinful indulgences tonight b/c today- I'm going to heaven for sure!

Cosmo Cricket

You never win the lottery unless you play right? Cosmo Cricket is looking for some new talent for their Design Team so I figured what the heck. I'm passionate, funny (not just looking), dedicated and gosh darn it- people like me. Enough Stuart Smally. And for some reason all I can think of is Casey Kasem "Keep your feet on the ground and keep reaching for the stars" Looooser :)

Here are my samples of Cosmo Cricket at its best.

Thanks for lookin!

Positively Paper Class @ Feeling Scrappy

What scrapbooker doesn't love paper? And if we are honest - how many of us have more then we will ever be able to use? This class will focus on creative ways to use all that beautiful paper! Don't miss this awesome one month class starting on July 7, 2008! Positively Paper Class

Here's a sneak peek of what's in store.

How Classes Work:
All classes are held online through our special Feeling Scrappy Class Forum. It is a private forum where you can share your layouts, discuss the techniques, ask questions and share information with instructors and fellow students. Part of the fun is sharing the experience and hanging out with like-minded women while you learn! Since our classes are held on-line on a message board you can "attend" class when it is convenient for you making it perfect for SAH moms and working ladies alike! It is not required that you complete every challenge and technique taught during the classes but you will get the most out of the classes if you work along with us. We will also have many "extra credit" assignments with opportunities to win prizes throughout the classes.You will be sent a class syllabus, supply list and access code after you register for a class

I'd love to see some familiar faces and can't wait to meet some new!

My 3 Favorite Things

My 3 Favorite ThingsNo- not the unfortunate beer bottle that snuck in the photo. :) Nick, Bennet and Scout. I think Scout was about 2 weeks old in this photo. I just love this photo. I had to scrap it twice. One for each of their books.

Thanks to my scrappy friend Char for the blooms. As always I did this page for several challenges. One at Scrapbook.com and Scrap4Life.com

Happy Father's Day

Happy Father's Day to all our Dad's and Grandpa's!

2007
Last Father's Day we spent the weekend at the cabin.

Nick, Bennet and PawPaw Roger. Look how short her hair was. Nick and Scout. Well- she is in there at 26 weeks :) And to think I was small at that stage. Yikes!

2008
This year Nick was treated to the breakfast of champions. Smokehouse bacon and deep fried french toast made with french bread. We are still moving slow.

It is a gorgeous day here. We walked to the park. Nick has to try out the new double stroller. Yet another find our neighbors found at a thrift sale for us. We love it!! Thanks for always thinking of us- again.

B wasn't thrilled, until . . . Scout joined her.

Nick had a light lunch so he has room for his steak dinner. :) Although I'm already eyeing up the homemade AngelFood cake with berries and cream.

And now- at nearly 4 he's finally done working and is ready to dive into his present- a PS3. I'll never see him again.

Happy Father's Day Nick. Our girls are lucky to have you. Don't you forget it! We love you!!

My Dad

I did this layout tonight in honor of my Dad. They call him Mikey, Trun and apparently Tinker. I just learned about the Tinker one tonight. He does like to putz and fix things so it's appropriate. 'Oh- I can fix that' :)

The tab in the upper right corner pulls out to reveal journaling.

In some ways my Dad and I are a lot alike. In other ways we’re very different. We both are thrifty and will brag about a good bargain. We are hard workers and get satisfaction at a job well done. We like to drink beer and take naps. In certain situations we both have short tempers and stubborn streaks. We understand the importance of good car maintenance. Oil changes and tire pressure are the key to happiness.

We are very different too. I am very outwardly & vocally emotional. I wear my heart on my sleeve. My Dad doesn’t emote very much. Doesn’t bother me at all. I know that he loves me and is proud of me without saying a word. I buy foreign, he buys domestic. If it’s yellow it mellows- I flush it down J

On this Father’s Day 2008 I am proud to be his daughter for all the reasons we’re alike and for those reasons that we’re not. They make us, US. I love you Dad!

Happy Father's Day Dad! Happy Father's Day Dad/Roger!! Happy Father's Day Nick!! I love you!

I'll post some celebration photos tomorrow.

Dr. Doolittle

It's been an animal filled week for me. On my trip south to Point/Rapids on Tuesday I came across a turtle trying to cross the road. I avoided him but his next opponent was a FedEx 18 wheeler. I do hope he made it. Then I saw a deceased porcupine, fawn, and racoon. 4 animals in a day should have been my sign that something was up.

Yesterday it got really interesting. I was on my weekly drive west to Eau Claire on Hwy 29. For those of you not familiar with 29, here is what Nick says about it "It is the most boring stretch of road. How do you do this every week?" Lots of farmland and not a whole lot else. I could do the stretch of road with my eyes closed. (Dad- don't worry. I wouldn't REALLY do it)

Well I'm driving along belting out Sister Christian on the 90's flashback when I see 2 adorable baby goats eating grass in the median of the highway. Goats? Really? In the middle of nowhere? I do a quick scan to see where they may have come from. Amazingly enough- not a farm to be seen. I thought about stopping to swoop them up and put them somewhere but I was late.

I was telling my mom and Nick about my Goat Spotting last night. They both looked at me like I was taking crazy pills or something. Well. . . I was driving to work this morning and somehow tuned into an Eau Claire country radio station (yes- I'm a closet country fan. Hee Haw). I hear the DJ say, "A farmer in Chippewa County is missing a pregnant Nanny Goat. If you have any information please call the station" WTH? Are you kidding me?

Well Mr. Farmer I can tell you this much. Your pregnant Nanny Goat isn't preggers anymore b/c I saw her babies munching on grass yesterday morning. So after multiple attempts to call the station I couldn't get through. So I sent them an email. The DJ responded and sent it onto the farmer. How crazy is that? That I was listening to that station at that time. Weird.

I will probably never know what happened with the mama goat her babies. But I do feel good that I did my part and sent the email. And to know that I wasn't seeing things.

I'm Cool Like That

Always the double dipper. This layout was done with several challenges in mind. It was originally inspired by Rachel's Question of the Week at FeelingScrappy. She asked us to list 5 things that we liked about ourselves.

Then I thought- wait- that would fit perfectly with the Styles the Word challenge. (I'm a DT member there). That challenge begged the question "Why are you wonderful?"

To get me started I used the challenge at Scrap4Life to use Nancy's lo as a launching point. So really a triple dipper this time.

So when people ask me how I find the time to scrap and participate in challenges/etc. little do they know . . .





Here is the layout. Melissa- to answer your question. The toe next to my big toe is 2 1/4 inches long. And skinny. Measure your pinkie. I'd bet it's about the same length. :) Bennet has Nick's toes. Scout has Trunnell toes.

Scrappy stuff

Have I mentioned that I love how you can write a blog post now and schedule it to go live at a future date? Well- I love it.

Here are some of the layouts I created at my crop at Tall Oaks Retreat a couple of weekends ago. First things first, here was the whole group (minus the proprietor Casie). Why the tallest gal there (me) ended up in the front remains a mystery.

And now some layouts.

Congratulations Katie!!

My little sister Katie just got a new job in a new school district. Woo hoo!! She teaches middle school English- by choice! There is a special place in heaven for her dealing with all those hormones. She's going from a Panther to a White Bear!! Congratulations Squirt!!

Summer Saturday

Well- the last day of school was last Friday so summer is officially here. We had a typically crazy Saturday today. We have a very large window box on the outside of our house. Last summer I didn't plant anything. I'm using the fact that I was pregnant as an excuse. The truth is I just didn't get around to it. So- this year I'd better make up for it.

After breakfast today Bennet and I went to the nursery for flowers. Of course B splashed in every pond and climbed every hill but we had fun. She helped me pick the colors. White, Pink and Red.

Since there is 2 years plus of dirt we had to prep the box for planting. B is REALLY into helping these days which is alot of fun. "I help" is a common phrase at our house. I know it will be fleeting so we're taking advantage now.

Scout hung out with us too. She is a standing/cruisin' fool these days. Just has to be up on everything. Thanks to Miranda and Sam for the cool onesie!! And our neighbor, the Gasall's for the Cozy Coupe. Scout has decided it's hers.
Ms. Jones

Here is Nick trying to quickly mow the yard before the storms roll in. My hero!!

Well- that was a random post- but a post none the less.