thankful for facebook

I *heart* paper crafts and a giveaway!

hipster or fuddy-duddy?

the grand unveiling
Elizabeth Kartchner is one of those chicks whose guts you just want to hate. First, of course, she's gorgeous. There's that. And then she's got this hilarious, handsome husband. Dang. And wouldn't you know it, her daughters are just unfairly perfect and adorable. Crap. To top it off, she's really talented and has a devoted blog following. Where does she get off? And then you meet her. And you discover that she is grateful and modest, sensitive and compassionate, and one of the most hardworking and giving women you've ever met. And suddenly you find yourself

motherly love!
Hello, blog-friends! Guess whose birthday is today?Yep, it's our Mommy's birthday today - 74 years young (and cute). Could you give her some birthday love today?Susan

brotherly love
Beth and I are fortunate to have two brothers that we love a whole lot! We are elated that our brother Kurt and his family have returned to the US after two years in Istanbul, and we adore our brother Paul (who resides in Baldwinsville, NY). On Labor Day weekend, Paul made a trip to Utah to celebrate his birthday (August 29) and Beth's (September 3) and to see what the Beehive State was all about. While in Utah, Beth and I showed Paul the sights, and in Opel family fashion that included some serious road-trippage. One of our first trips took us to Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area which spans portions of both Wyoming and NE Utah. It wa

i wanna rock & roll all night!
Hey, friends!If you don't already know, I'm the lead singer of a rock band called Natural Causes. It's such an honor to sing in front of four super talented guys who've been making music for years: Larry on bass, guitar, keyboard, and vocals, Mark on guitar and vocals, Russ on guitar, keyboard, and vocals, and Joe on the drums. We'd love for you to become our fan on Facebook!

time for me to fly
Many of you know the story of how I quit teaching and moved to Utah to follow a dream. The way it all fell into place clearly showed God's hand in the direction of my life. Truly, time and time again I've been reminded that He has a plan for me, even when it doesn't turn out to be what I expected. This past week I learned this lesson again when I parted ways from Creating Keepsakes magazine. I've made some wonderful friendships and had some amazing experiences, but it's time for me to move on. I am confident that this was a stepping stone along the path to something even more perfectly suited to my skill set and long-term goal