My Boys

Josh and Patrick had a blast yesterday! They said the race was great and had fun sharing it with their friends too. Patrick loved teaching Jonah all that he knows and to share this day with a special little friend. But I think the biggest kick of all is he spends this time with his father and if you have ever seen Josh and Patrick together you know there is a truly special bond there. I feel so happy that they can share in fun things together and that Josh embraces his role as a father to his children...each one is special to him in there own way but there is a special light between a dad and his son. I found this poem tonight and thought it was perfect for their special relationship....

The Perfect Father
By Karl and Joanna Fuchs

I love you because you're my father,
But you're really so much more;
You're a guide and a companion;
You and I have great rapport.

You pay attention to me;
You listen to what I say.
You pass on words of wisdom,
Helping me along the way.Whenever I'm in trouble,
You always have a plan.
You are the perfect father,
And I'm your biggest fan!


Jennifer :)

Gentleman Start Your Engines!

There is an excitement building in my house today....NASCAR! I have a little boy who is obsessed with racing and SPEED! He simply loves everything and since about the age of 4 can tell you the drivers name, his vehicle number, his sponsor and his team- amazing! Patrick is a little sponge he loves to learn and understand things to the fullest. Last September Josh took Patrick to his first NASCAR race at Dover, Delaware. To say he was excited would be a major understatement! Josh and Patrick had a blast and I think this is a great thing that they can share together and bond over. Today they are headed out to Dover, Delaware to watch the Nationwide Series race today. They will have two friends joining them and they are super excited. I cannot wait to get pictures back and see how much fun they had. These pictures are from last years experience. I cannot get over how much Patrick looks like his Grandpa Bohnart in this picture with him sitting on the right! Josh said he just loved it all! Here is hoping for a great time today and super fun, clean racing Boys!

Jennifer :)

I've been a Free Spirit lately.

I have been working this week on creating some masculine type cards. I find that I create things that are more on the embellished girly side, it is so easy and fun. But I was in desperate need of a manly card for a dear friend. One of my friends from High School and College, Eric, went into the hospital about two weeks ago because he was not feeling well. After running a bunch of tests they discovered he had stage 3 bone cancer! My dear friend, Tiffany, has been bestest friends with Eric since childhood and lives near him now so she has been such a great friend to check on Eric, keep his spirits up and keep the rest of us in the loop! What a big task but she is the type of friend that will do anything for you- love her!



So I told Tiffany that this would be a challenge and that I had to get in the creative spirit to create something for Eric! He was always the guy you would go to for a laugh, to escape from your problems...he would always make me laugh so hard that I thought literally I would wet myself! (yep I just said that) So when my card makes it to him in Colorado I hope it brings a smile to his face and I can help fill his spirit up to Kick Cancer's *&@$%!!(Eric says it not me! hee-hee.



For all 3 cards I used all Close To My Heart Products(love it):
*x7088B Free Spirit Level 2 Kit
*x7088C Free Spirit My Stickease
*Chocolate ink and distressing ink pad
*D1227 Legendary Moments (one of my all time favorite stamp sets!)
* Twill Ribbon and some of our Rub-Ons!
*I used the Originals book by Jeanette Lynton to make the card designs. the first card is "Lucky Three", the second is "Colors and Cubes", and the third is "Upright." I love all our How to Program books...makes my life so much easier!

Hope it inspires you too to create out of your comfort zone!

:) Jennifer

we've got Rhythm!

Josh and I have wanted to get a piano for our house for years. We both grew up loving music. I played piano for 10 years and he played the Tenor and Alto Saxophone- which he still grabs at Christmas. The kids love when Josh plays the music and they even try to blow on the Sax too! Our serious hunt for a piano began about a month ago and VOILA! Craig's list came to the rescue! Everyone was so excited last night and the excitement continued this morning and I just had to snap some photos! I hope this will spread our love of music to them. Cannot wait to begin those lessons.....


Jennifer

Okay...I am taking the JUMP!!!

I still cannot believe that I have created my own blog! I am really excited to share all the stories from our house and my creative endeavors! I hope this blog will inspire you to find that Creative Diva that is in all of us!

Some of you may ask...how I decided upon this name for my blog?!? As an Executive Manager and Independent Consultant with Close To My Heart we get to name our teams- that is the ladies that I recruit- we all become a team and I help each one of them reach their goals and have fun sharing and creating together. So when I started my team back in 2006 I was stumbling for a name...and I decided upon The Crafting Divas. The Crafting Divas and Close to My Heart represents an outlet in my life- something that I have worked hard and created myself and the accomplishments are tangible. So much in a stay at home Mom's life seems to be taken for granted, routine, and expected. I love being at home, don't miss understand me it was the best decision I have ever made but there was a little voice inside of me in 2005 that was yearning for something- adult conversation, creative inspiration, a way out of the house to have fun, and an open invitaiton for others to come over and have fun with me. That is what Close To My Heart has brought to my life and more! Sometimes it really is hard for me to put into words but it has been a huge blessing to me. So, I look on my team and anyone I meet as all able to tap into that Creative Diva inside of us- we all have a voice, we all want to share, and most of all we want to be treated extra special...DIVA FOR A DAY! :)

This Diva is a PROUD Mommy of the two most adorable and sweet kiddos in the world, I know I am not biased or anything- Ireland and Patrick. Oh how much fun they are and how much trouble they can get into! They certainly keep life interesting and FUN! Just they way that Josh and I like it. Josh and I have been married for 10 1/2 years. He is the LOVE of my life and I feel blessed to walk with him, share with him, and create our path together. Amazing to think that I met Josh the summer before my Sophomore year of College and before his Junior Year. We dated for 2 years and then had a year long engagement while I finished school at the University of Northern Colorado and he began his Active Duty Career in the Air Force at Dayton, Ohio. It was a long year for both of us but it helped foster a deep friendship and ability to overcome long distances and things that we cannot control because for those of you that are in the military you very well know that is the path we walk.

So that is a little about me and my family....I look forward to sharing more and posting lots of artwork! I have a feeling this blog is going to inspire me to stay on top of my creating and taking pictures of it! tee-hee....
Have a great day!

***and thanks to my friend Janis for helping me put this name together for my blog!