Sneak Peak- Seattle

Well, I only have two photos...(still no cord...) but here is a sneak peak at the last show for the year.
This is my co-worker Ashley and I hanging out at the crop Saturday night after all the packing, and the partying festivities.
Notice we are still somewhat vertical. This is an accomplishment.

I was also sooo excited to be teaching with Teri Anderson one of the FABULOUS and a personal favorite Go To Papercrafts Gal! AND I got to meet Maren Benedict, who is another favorite and fabulous Go To Gal!
Hopefully more later...cross your fingers y'all.

"Katch"- Up and a Few "grateful for"

I just got back from a great scrapbook convention in Seattle. The last CKC of the year! It really seems crazy that we are done for the year, and that means that I have worked for them for a year...weird?!? More on that later... (Mr. Scott has to find the cord for the camera...please let's all pray it is not in the storage unit...or we won't hear about it later :) )

So, I just had a few musings I wanted to share. I am in another grateful mood, and have started putting down thoughts for our Holiday cards and letter. I used to think my mother was such a goober for sending holiday letters telling everyone all about the goings on in the Bolander house- I guess I thought we were pretty boring. However, as I have started said letter I am so grateful that I have family and wonderful friends to send it too! This year has been one heck of a year (that sounds very countryish) for us, and I am happy to tell anyone who will listen about it I guess!
Okay, so here are a few things we have been doing...
Voting
I love Mr. Scott's face here... It really says everything about voting this year....I have never witnessed, or maybe noticed is the word how mean politics is!! We stopped turning on the TV for a few weeks because the only commercials were slamming opponents and then politely telling voters who they should vote for. It was rough. Scott and I stared at each other for two weeks...
Then the day after we voted I read an article on the fact that many voters went to the poles unhappy with their choices. I was just grateful that Mr. Bywater and I had the opportunity to vote.

Things have turned cold here, and by cold I mean cold! My fingers are quite cold as I type this (our little home gets minus five stars for an energy star rating) and the sun came out for a few moments today (of course this was after Miss Olive and I went for our daily walk) and then disappeared, but I am grateful for afternoon sunshine coming in the windows
After I took this photo I sat in that square on the floor of my kitchen for a while to warm up. And yes Dad, I AM wearing socks, A long sleeve shirt, AND a sweater. BUT as much as I would like to tell you all that I will turn up the heat in this place, I am still my fathers daughter, so I just cook dinner....which leads me to my next "grateful for"
Cooking!
Never thought I would say that! But as I spend more time in my home I have found that this is the little oasis of my day. AND provides some heat. I stood in front of the stove with the door open yesterday as the lasagna cooked just because I could. BUT I am grateful for the Shelbi Crocker that has come out in me.

REALLY Official

Mr. Bywater just got his grade for his last class....and he has now officially passed his last class and achieved the MBA. He ended up with a 3.81 Cumulative GPA. Nice job Mr. Bywater, you are now a Phoenix...

I am grateful....

For so many things right now! Scott and I feel very blessed at this wonderful little time of the year. Even though we are so far away from our family and friends we just really like each other so that helps. :)

Seriously though, I am so grateful for the blessings that I have!

The Banter...

Mr. Bywater and I always have this wonderful argument about taking the dog out. See, it is getting cold here, and by cold I mean....cold and wet and I have to wear socks every day...ikk...
so there is always some banter about who's turn it is to take the dog outside to see to her business. Well, okay, so this is my version of the schedule...Scott differs obviously, or there would be nothing to write about. I get the "day shift" which includes yelling at the dog on the walk, getting up in the morning to take her out, and then whenever in between we need a little break from the house. Scott gets the midnight shift. :) That makes me happy. He always says that when we have children he will be the only one getting up in the midnight hour. Now too the story...

Mr. Bywater got out of our warm bed last night around 2 am because the dog was whining to be let out. He had told said dog to be quite three times...I heard that, and instead she insisted that he get out of bed and see to her needs. Well, a little later, (note to all audiences: I am a HEAVY sleeper- or maybe it is best to say I am a good sleeper :) so while all of this is going on I am falling in and out of sleep just fine) I am not entirely sure how long the escapade lasted outside, he got back in our warm bed, now very cold...ick....and was ranting and raving that he was going to have it out with Miss Olive.
I believe I sleep chuckled and said "Can it wait until in the morning?"

It is Official

It is official, Mr. Bywater has officially turned in his last school assignment... I cried, I wept, and that was mostly because now we have to pay for this wonderful education, well and the fact that I read said assignment last night at 11:00 pm...
Okay, so I am totally kidding, but I am feeling a bit nostalgic today. I really never thought that we, well okay, Scott would get to this point. The man LOVES school (not) and just really couldn't focus ten years ago (shudder, that is a LONG time) for two seconds on an assignment.

I remember when we started school together at the Salt Lake Community College. We had a Political Science class together (among others) and when we took the first test of our college career in that class dear, sweet, Mr. Bywater got mad that I got a better grade then he did. My sweet husband is one of a kind, that he has pushed himself through tests and papers and all sorts of projects to come to this point.
But truly, he has worked so hard through so many life changes (hence our recent early midlife crisis to jump up and move from our cozy Utah surroundings to beautiful Chicago) and curveballs that we have been thrown, to be at this wonderful point of being done.
So, it is with A LOT of pride that I announce my new husband...
Scott E. Bywater MBA