Happy National Bicarbonate of Soda Day!

Thought this one sounded fun!

Merry Christmas to all and a Happy New Year!

The International House of Prayer's One Thing conference is going on - if you want to catch some of it live - just register at www.ihop.org (it's free).

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas. We had a lot of fun playing games and spending time together as a family. Today we are back to reality - snow, hockey practice, and chores. School starts up next week, so I am busy getting any materials for our second semester ready.

Hi - Happy Take it in the Ear day?

Ok - no research, so no idea what this one is.

I have been working on some Christmas by having fun with my BIA and some fun papers:



Christmas count down is on, but we sure are having fun - mainly down to packing and shipping - trying to come up with interesting wraps (never very good at this one).

Well - Hope your Christmas season is progressing well - remember to take time and enjoy - relax and have fun. Remember - Christ is the reason we celebrate - our daily advent activities help keep the kids centered (well, not quite daily with the some of the tough schedules we face, but we do our best). Our Christmas dinner will be topped off with a Birthday Cake! it is a party day!

Deco Squares and Tags

Above are some of the wonderful Deco Squares from my latest CKMB Swap. Wow are there some very creative ladies in this group. The first two pages are all deco squares from the swap. The third page is another deco square from the swap, a re-scan of the reindeer deco square (the first one blurred - sorry, new scanner and it doesn't work quite like my old one)

The bottom three are all tags that I have made. The one with the black background was for a tag swap on ckmb, the Santa ones were for an ATC swap on the AMR board. I did several types of Santa ones and made enough (I thought) to use the tags and atc's for Christmas tags - no dice! I am now out and need some more - hopefully I will have some time later this week (or next).

Have a great Christmas Season - I am not sure if I will be posting daily or not, but will post as I can. Right now I am trying to keep going on my Christmas cards and wrapping gifts as they arrive.

I don't know that I am loosing weight, but so far, so good. I am feeling better. My Bible Study is coming along - I have missed some days, but think I may go with the same philosophy I heard another lady use - M-F, regular days, Saturday and Sunday - may not be the same. Saturday I missed completely, Sunday we began Luke as a family. Monday - complete miss, but at least now I understand where the guilt comes and will not let it get me down or thinking I should just stop trying!

Christmas Shopping

You never know what will be on a camera when it comes to downloading! I like my Christmas sheets, but didn't know they were on film :)

Well - for the first time in several years, I did not participate in the mad rush of Black Friday. I decided sleep and relaxation was way more valuable. Took it easy and did some on-line searching and decided to take it easy, gift wise, this year. Since we our limiting our spending, we have quite a few choices for everyone on the list, so we can wait and do some choosing as the season continues.

I did get some crackers made - these should be fun! If you haven't made them before, be sure to order enough snaps to try out a few. Biggest thing I learned - don't use good scrapbook paper! Cheap wrapping paper not only looks nice - but tears the best! Kind of fun to find some fun foil papers at the dollar store - beautiful crackers are the result. (I made about 14 from a roll of paper)

Fun, Fun, Fun

I made some Deco Squares for a swap over on the AMR board. They are all just a bit different, but here is how a few turned out. I like them - they are a bit on the simple side, but I hope they match things for everyone.

I cleaned off my scrap table (not completely) enough that I can again work during the day while kids are doing schoolwork. It just works better for one of them to have mom in the same room almost constantly (he likes to "forget" what he is doing and have fun). I would be more worried if he was the first child to hit this phase, but I know that this too, shall pass.

And I scrapped!

plus, have hit 4 veggie servings! So far, so good.

This is a picture of the front only of a page I made for Scrappingirish. She asked me about a year ago (sorry for the delay) to create an 8x8 page about myself for her. It was hard to do, but really fun, once I got going. I am not publishing the inside right now, just in case she looks! I want her to be surprised.

Do something hard

Ever have one of these times in your life - I think God is now throwing bricks at me, trying to get me to listen as I should.

First - yesterday came the brick story from my sister. "THE BRICK

A young and successful executive was traveling down a neighborhood street, going a bit too fast in his new Jaguar. He was watching for kids darting out from between parked cars and slowed down when he thought he saw something. As his car passed, no children appeared. Instead, a brick smashed into the Jag's side door!

He slammed on the brakes and backed the Jag back to the spot where the brick had been thrown.

The angry driver then jumped out of the car, grabbed the nearest kid and pushed him up against a parked car shouting, 'What was that all about and who are you? Just what the heck are you doing? That's a new car and that brick you threw is going to cost a lot of money Why did you do it?'

The young boy was apologetic. 'Please, mister...please, I'm sorry but I didn't know what else to do,' He pleaded. 'I threw the brick because no one else would stop...' With tears dripping down his face and off his chin, the youth pointed to a spot just around a parked car. 'It's my brother, 'he said 'He rolled off the curb and fell out of his wheelchair and I can't lift him up.'

Now sobbing, the boy asked the stunned executive, 'Would you please help me get him back into his wheelchair? He's hurt and he's too heavy for me.'

Moved beyond words, the driver tried to swallow the rapidly swelling lump in his throat. He hurriedly lifted the handicapped boy back into the wheelchair, then took out a linen handkerchief and dabbed at the fresh scrapes and cuts. A quick look told him everything was going to be okay. 'Thank you and may God bless you,' the grateful child told the stranger. Too shook up for words, the man simply watched the boy! push his wheelchair-bound brother down the sidewalk toward their home.

It was a long, slow walk back to the Jaguar. The damage was very noticeable, but the driver never bothered to repair the dented side door. He kept the dent there to remind him of this message: 'Don't go through life so fast that someone has to throw a brick at you to get your attention!' God whispers in our souls and speaks to our hearts. Sometimes when we don't have time to listen, He has to throw a brick at us. It's our choice to listen or not."

There was more, but it started me thinking about little things I have been putting off (like keeping my quiet time a priority; loosing weight so I am still around for my kids weddings, grandkids, etc.; being the mom I long to be (not martha stewart type, just the kind who takes time to enjoy things with her kids; finally de-cluttering and letting go of old things because all they do is take up space and bring no joy; getting letters I want to write done and out; even scrapbooking is taking a backseat to things that I don't enjoy or feel like doing, but routines I return to).

Ok - so I decide - time to go on and do things I know I should do. Rush through the day - no real change, but hey, I had some good intentions for a few minutes.

Find out my younger brother is in the hospital. They don't know what is wrong, so they are running tests. Hmm - yes, I did turn right to God - He is always there for us, but I keep putting my quiet time with Him down in my list - sometimes I forget (more often than I want). (BTW: currently they are suspecting Dengue fever - I am so thankful that God has given doctors and nurses the insight they need)

This morning - I think, I have time, kids are asleep, if all else, I will get my quiet time back on track - but first (oh no - here it comes) I can quickly check email. Well - you know how that goes - 45 minutes later I click to Kiera's blog - oh boy (btw: thanks for your message) - she is discussing how there are hard things in life we need to do - they are worth the sweat (hmm, thinking weight now) and how God is with us through everything (hmm, thinking quiet time) and how hard things are normally good things (hmm - remembering a Christian comedian kids were listenting too - one of his lines is "hard and hard is good"). I keep hearing this message of things may be hard for me, but they will be good.

Well - do some more things - go back to check email - my Proverbs 31 devotion arrives with "You have seen many things, but have paid no attention; your ears are open, but you hear nothing.” Isaiah 42:20 (NIV) as the verse. Ok - this is exactly what I have been doing. I think I am getting the brick. Reading through the devotion, I see myself more clearly than usual. The devotion went:

Little Noises by Marybeth Whalen

“You have seen many things, but have paid no attention; your ears are open, but you hear nothing.” Isaiah 42:20 (NIV)

Devotion:

The squeaking that was coming from under the hood of my car was getting louder and louder, to an unavoidable degree. “Mom,” my son said as he got out of my car in the carpool line at school, “Please do something about that. It’s embarrassing.” I had to admit he was right. Something was definitely wrong with my car. The funny noise was a warning sign to attend to the problem lest I end up stranded on the side of the road with smoke billowing from the hood. Even though the noise was annoying and embarrassing, I had to admit I was grateful for the chance to attend to a problem before it got serious.


Whether it’s a squeak, a ping, a knock, or a rattle, we all have those little noises in our life as well. And even though they might drive us crazy, we have to admit that they can serve a great purpose. We need to be alerted to the more serious underlying problems that exist, lurking where we might not see them. God is gracious to provide those for us—if we will only learn to listen and respond. Those noises might annoy us, nag at us, and be most unwelcome sounds, but just think where we might end up without them!

There is that whiny sound that comes from a child who needs your attention and affirmation—an indication that perhaps a special day for just the two of you or a heart-to-heart conversation is needed.

There is that grumbling sound that comes from a husband who is feeling neglected—an indication that regular date nights need to be reinstituted in your marriage, and that less time should be spent on distractions and more time spent on him.

There is that rumbling earthquake noise that comes from a boss who has made one too many little comments about your job performance—an indication that it’s time to pray for God’s wisdom and for job security in these uncertain times.

There is that loud chainsaw noise that comes from bills that are stacking up and creditors that are calling—an indication that it might be time to get some help with managing your money.

There is that nails on chalkboard sound of all those little worries that nag at you—an indication that it’s time to get intentional about turning your worries and doubts over to God, laying them at His feet and trusting Him to take care of the rest.


Most of all, there is the noise of a gentle, rushing wind that is God’s constant whisper calling out to us—an invitation to draw close to Him and experience His presence, banishing the loneliness, hurt and rejection when we do.


What little noises are you hearing in your life? Do you need to attend to them now before a relationship suffers, or you lose something valuable? It’s hard to stop in the midst of all our busyness and attend to things that aren’t quite urgent yet. Still, those little noises are often big indicators of much deeper issues. Don’t ignore the warning signs in your life. Ask God to help you hear them when you need to. I know I need to turn my ear towards those noises instead of away from them as I am prone to do. Ignoring them won’t make them go away. I don’t want to end up on the side of the road in my relationships, my job, or my life because I didn’t pay attention to those little indicators that something was wrong.

Dear Lord, I need You to draw my attention to those little noises in my life. Sometimes I get so busy and forget to listen. And sometimes I hear them but I just ignore them because I don’t want to deal with what’s not right in front of me. Lord, I know those noises are little indicators of bigger problems lurking. Help me to hear them and respond before it’s too late. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
"


Even typing this, I can feel God in my heart letting me know that He will be there as I tackle some very difficult obsticles for me. They may not be hard for a lot of other people, but they are not easy for me what-so-ever. I feel a need to blog about this - not quite sure why - so here goes.

My journey to get back into shape and maintain God as the center of my life begins this morning. First - prayers and quiet time, then exercise. I am not an exercise buff, so getting going will be the first challenge. I enjoy fruits and veggies, but don't take the time to prepare what I like, often eating whatever is there because it is quick. Plus, I have a sweet tooth and not nearly the self control I should.

So, for today, I will remember, "God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble." Psalm 46:1. Though my noises are not loud, I know they should be addressed, sooner rather than later. God will help me. Isn't it wonderful that He is a God who we can talk to on a daily basis about our needs, as well as those of others. He is always there, no matter how large (or small) our needs. He knows them all.

Another great Evening at October Afternoon

Well, Scrapper Lady and I helped with packaging again last night at October Afternoon. Their products are so much fun. We each received another great goodie bag (this time the 12 x 12 papers were their Good Cheer line - I am soooo excited - that line is so pretty).

It was fun - we even ran into NurseNell and spend the evening packagin with her! (totally cannot wait for the retreat)

We got down early, so just had to run into Archivers (less than 5 minutes away and what else would scrappers do to "kill" time - coffee?????) I found a few fun papers on clearance (yahoo) and was able to get some flocking I have wanted to try. Not sure what I will do, but just in case I decide that it is not something I want to do again - I went with evergreen. That way it can go for HO train set accessories if it doesn't work how I want for scrapping! (Love the versitility)

I don't have pics of my goodie bag (rechargable batteries are great, but when they are out of juice, I cannot even turn the camera on). So, instead, I am posting a pic of one of my first digital lo attempts. I like digital for some things, but boy I miss the touch and feel of real supplies. Wish I had the mesh and items "real" to touch and use. Digitial is great to do when you can't have regular supplies, but not sure it will be routine for me. (maybe adding some real prima's would help?)

Fun times at October Afternoon

What a great bag of goodies!

Found a link about some times they were looking for packaging help on a blog - went on down with Scrapper Lady and we had fun! Yes, we did work, but look at the wonderful goody bag they sent us home with! Now to find some of these lines locally!

The Ducks are in the "House" :)

They're here

Jumbo Pekin Ducks, that is. Ds is pretty happy - he now has added some ducks to his menagerie. They will be sharing space with the chickens (boy are they looking cool these days) and bunnies until spring. It may seem a long way off, but it will take a while for him to determine exactly how he wants his animals to be kept. He is looking forward to adding his ewes soon.


The chickens are a type of bantam - not positive exactly what. They have downy type feathers and some regular ones - they are cool with their blue feet and feathers down their legs.





It will be interesting to see what types of eggs we end up with. The ducks are pretty young, but still bigger than the chickens!

Happy Hermit Day

First - something fun - some spooks from the haunted hayride - totally fun as always.

Now to regular stuff - Well - it is a day according to my web source! The internet allows anyone who truly wishes to live like a hermit to do so. Not my first choice, but hey - this is America, so if you want to - go ahead.

Speaking of America - yes, there is an election coming up (you would have to be a hermit with no internet access, tv or other media to not know this). I have some pretty strong opinions for McCain/Palin and will be voting their ticket. However, I also am publishing this here, on this seldom visited site as a kind of test. In our area, many Republican signs are destroyed on a routine basis. Why? We allow those not agreeing with us to put their signs up (though I think the maniquin representing the hanging of Sarah Palin is in extremely bad taste - wonder those same people would think if there was one of Barak Obama in the same manner?).

I don't like the thought of rebuilding this site, but figure I will if needed. Do I agree with McCain on everything - heck, no - (do I agree with dh on everything - heck no) but truthfully, the re-distribution of wealth scares me way more than McCain's policies. When did we stop being America? If anyone has read their history, they will know that this does not work. One of the best things about being an American is the right to try to succeed beyond our wildest dreams. We also have the right to fail. Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness are protected in our great Constitution, not guaranteed.

Who does the re-distribution hurt the most - the backbone of America - small businessmen and women. You know - those of us who still believe in the dream. We sink our blood, sweat, and tears into a new business - having several years of loosing money, now, as we turn the corner to become profitable, stable pillars in our communities, here comes a redistribution of wealth policy and all of our hard work will be destroyed by the government. The new policy - why work - let others do it for you? (note: latest I have heard/seen - looks like the redistribution/wealthy American level is decreasing - no longer 250K, now down to 150K. We all need to start seeing what is up - the economy is in tough shape and to put through all the new programs, the money will have to come from somewhere - even raising taxes on those "rich" - you know - the ones who worked hard for their funds - won't provide enough to cover proposed healthcare and education spending. The money will have to come from somewhere and it won't be from those who don't work for a living.)

I am just a regular mom out here - working hard with my husband to build a life for our family and maybe, just maybe, if we save and have a good year, we go out to dinner every so often and are able to take a nice vacation each year. These are some perks we enjoy by our labor. And our vacation (or camping trips) increase the bonds between family members, allow us to enjoy this great country, learn about different parts of the country and meet new people.

I will continue to enjoy this while I can (yes, I do know the economy is extremely tough right now, but the reasons all started before George Bush took over the White House and by the way - rather than rebates, gas prices dropping back down to around $2/gallon has helped our family budget more than anything else - hmm - which party is in the White House?), execute my voting rights, and continue to pray for our nation and its leaders.

Rambo is making friends

Well, no more escapades from Rambo - he really is a darling. My daughter has him running to the fence each time he sees her in order to get her to pick him some nice grass. Her dog Brigetta loves to help as well.

Rambo has arrived :)

In sheep form, that is. Ds brought a ram home last night. He is cute - 4 horns (Jacobs) and thinks he is all that. Our 2000# bull stood on one side of Rambo's pen and started bellering at the small ram (about 80#?). Well, Rambo wasn't standing for that, so he climbed up and over the pen, jumped towards the bull and started chasing him around the pasture! Oh boy - talk about a site! (No pics, were worried about animals getting hurt and all, but picture it in your mind - little brown ram - not even as high as the 2000+ pound bull's knees chasing him around a field - at this time -- absolutely hilarious!)

Well - we now have fencing that goes all the way to Rambo's pen ceiling - we don't want to chance him getting out again, not for the bull's protection, but for his own.

The story continues.

Rambo, noticing how much fun it was to chase this large bull, decided to go after the cows. This was still a lot of fun - now there are cows running, the ram following, and two teenage boys chasing the ram down, trying to catch him (dh and I had run errands). Plus our beagle decided that it would be fun to run after the group barking, so very helpful of him!

Well, Rambo then decided to chase calves. This was also fun until he decided to pick on Jerry (who, by the way, weighs in at about 450 pounds). Jerry was not amused, and Charolette, his mother, was even less amused. It was one thing for this little, pain of a ram to chase her, but going after her son was an entirely different matter. (Charolette is the cow at the top of the page)

Charolette immediately stops running, stands still, lowers her head, and Rambo attempts to run her down (yeah, right). He of course is stopped cold (even though the bull weighs more than Charolette, she goes around 1700 lbs). Rambo, with his never give up attitude, returns to his feet (Charolette hasn't moved at this point, just head down snorting at him - Jerry is in the rear looking like he is saying, "Go get 'im, Mom") puts his head down and takes off towards our dear Charolette.

Care to guess what happens next? Charolette, at the appropriate time, takes a single step forward, head down into the oncoming Rambo. Rambo, still thinking he is tough for about another second, butts heads with her as hard as he can, only now, 1700 pounds of force is returning towards him (slow, but nevertheless, on-coming). Rambo hits, goes flying head over heals backwards, rolling and bleating -- where did this vicious thing come from, finally rights himself, and runs to the side of his pen.

Oldest ds grabs one of Rambo's horns (Rambo still thinks he is being tough, but the boys are plenty able to control him at this point), and leads him back to his pen. Rambo did suffer a bloodied nose, but seems to be ok otherwise. No broken bones or anything, and Charolette, once the ram left her calf, returned to eating her hay. So ends another Saturday morning around our house.

Wonder what this afternoon will bring?

Using "Stuff"

Maybe I am the only one who does this (boy, I hope not); anyway, when you are done with a layout and everything has been put away, ever find a single brad or button or whatever?

I do - sometimes they get put away, other times they end up in this baby food jar I have on my table (I put some ribbon on to make it look more festive).

Well, I am hosting a grungeboard atc swap (2.5 x 3.5 artist trading cards). I listed on All Moments Remembered (site: http://allmomentsremembered.com/)as well as this new site I found (thanks jblaze!) called Swaps - I'm so addicted! (site: http://swaps.originalsbyoliveira.com/index.php).

Anyway - I was looking for a single way to do the ATC's, when I saw my little jar of "leftovers". My leftovers are taking almost the entire space in the jar these days, so I figured I would try some out (thinking I had more in my stash). Well, I played around with my first ATC - grungeboard base, alcohol inks, ribbons, staples, brads, etc., completed it and thought "Yeah, I figured out my swap!" No such luck :( I forgot that sometimes when I put things into my little leftover jar, that is what it actually is - leftover. Ok - so lets try some other ideas.

I tried the next atc - ok, but I knew I didn't have more of the same, so I made another - "you know what", I thought, I talk to myself a lot, "these look kind of fun, all being different." Sooooo, you guessed it, I am not making them all different. Some may be similar, but I was just having way too much fun making all of these unique ATC's. If you have joined my swaps - which one will you get? (pics coming soon to a blog near you :))

Ok - I am learning

Ds just informed me that I can just put my camera card into the computer slot and it will download - no need for cord!!!! So, here are some promised pics!

First - the pulpit is finished and traveled out to the church for ds's eagle project! Just some landscaping left at this point and he will be finished (with the project part)! The picture is of one of the boy scouts sanding the pulpit after getting it moved to the church. There are others in the picture sanding and adding sealer to benches.

Above are some layouts I worked on this weekend - I did some more, but kind of a lot of pics already.

This is an encouragement album. It started with Scrappingirish's (Happy Birthday to her!!) Inspirational theme 6x6 swap, I have added some verses and am now adding the fruits of the spirit. I have two pages completed (though I may add some more to both). The grapes are from a purple swap hosted by Fia - the paper is wonderful, I need to figure out where to get another sheet! (I am kind of stingy in using it because it is so lovely)

These are some items I have been working on with alcohol inks and experimenting. The plum is perfect for my Inspirational album. It is fun to play! This is an embellishment from a page - sorry the pic isn't very good - I am not good at closeups. Anyway - I used two different pp, a rub-on and skittles! (ok, I found out today that the kind I used are called dew drops, but I only know them by the skittle name)

Poisoned Blackberries Day??? We celebrated something else!

Wow - where did this one come from? I googled and found the following "In the 1700s blackberries were the cause of more deaths than any other form of fruit from a vine or patch. Since then, tens, if not pairs of people take this day to hunt for blackberries that can kill someone instantly when consumed."

Well that may be the day we found, but dd came up with a better one Barlow Girl Monday on Air 1!!! She was so thrilled to hear them - they are her favorite group. She has met them at an autograph signing - was even able to have them sign a fan decoration she had made for her room! Great day for her.

I had a great weekend at the crop - got some stuff done, some stuff progressing, and of course, bought some stuff (who can resist with a 50% off coupon?)

Also - working on my Faithbook layouts that came in Septembers kit - there are some beautiful papers. Will get more of those posted as well.

Pics coming tomorrow!

No new pics today (at least not yet). It is Friday! I am attending an all day crop tomorrow and need to prepare! I have one kit ready to go and that is it! (and really, I guess ready isn't the right word - I wanted to paint the chipboard before going - saw some cool ideas in the latest Creating Keepsakes - just in one of the ads. Gotta give it a shot!

Hopefully I will get more together and have lots of fun things to post come Monday! But first paper sorting, a quick trip to sharpen skates, pick up milk, find some pics, assemble kits (be creative in this time????), dinner (ok - ds is getting everything in the crock pot for me, so other than supervising him, he is 11, this is done), running to hockey practice, and get everything packed into the car. A pretty typical day. Oh yeah, we homeschool as well, so spelling tests, supervising, helping, teaching, etc too.

Have a great weekend!

National Comic Book Day!

Boy are my kids thrilled! Since we homeschool and incorporate some funky holidays in, they have all decided that comic book reading should be a subject today! they are in luck - i have some great comics from the Federal Reserve that cover money and banking, finance, and the gold standard. There is also the comic book Bible, comics relating to physics and then the standard GI Jo, Heathcliff, Garfield and Calvin and Hobbes comics. (I didn't realize how many we had until today :))

I am going to be getting some pics developed to make some pages about kids playing monkey in the middle outside the other day. Dh joined in the game between grilling and they were all having fun (ok - one ds was at camp, but the others were having fun).

After monkey in the middle, my monkeys decided to put each other on their shoulders and start spinning around. They wanted to see how dizzy they could make each other - then I did get a few "posed" shots.

Titles are always a challenge for me, so any ideas are welcome. Have a great Comic Day!

Miss that squirrel day!

I don't really know if this is an official day, but ds was out riding his bike (phy-ed this month for homeschool). However, one of the friendly?, neighborhood squirrels wanted to see what he was up to, so stepped out and into the path of an oncoming bicycle. Well, ds didn't want to run him down (he has a much softer spot in his heart for animals), so over he swerved on the dirt road. He showed up at the house a few minutes later - glasses bent, dirty, scratches around his eye, both arms, dirt ground into his shoulder and blue jeans. I think he now wants to hunt the friendly?, neighborhood squirrel and invite him for dinner! (yes, I have had squirrel before - but it was when I was younger)

Well - we shall see how this saga plays itself out. He cannot use a shotgun or rifle around here, and the pellet gun is not in operating condition. I have a sneaking suspicion that the squirrel will get off :)

On to scrapbooks!

The pages posted are some from a 6x6 religious swap that Scrappingirish hosted over at CKMB. I have them in a book and am trying to add to it on a regular basis. I have not done faithbooking before, but hope this helps me get further.

Oh - if you have any good title ideas for this pic, i would love to hear them. DD and friend at GS camp a few weeks ago - love the glowing glasses!

Shh! :) My thanksgiving card swap - finally figured a design! The tag pulls out and can be used as a bookmark!

Long John Silvers Opens!

Above is ds's dog - she even got in on the fun! They have finally opened a local Long John Silvers. They were always around where I grew up, but after 12 years of no LJS - it was so fun to go and order today! Yes, it still tastes the way I remember - yummy!

I know Talk like a pirate day was the 19th, but couldn't reisist this pic this afternoon!

happy checkers day!

I just realized that I never added more recipe card pics from the breakfast swap hosted by Elizabeth6 at CKMB - so here are some more! Sorry the pictures are pretty bad, not quite sure what I did different (other than move and make them blury)

Happy First Day of Fall

I love the way the sun is behind the cross in the top pic and the rainbow you can just see outlining!

One of our Ds's is working on his Eagle project. This is a pic of him and some boys helping to put up the final cross at the outdoor worship area he is in charge of building. They are doing a rustic looking area - it is really turning out nice. I cannot wait until it is completed!

Our DD was approved to start with her Gold Award project in Girl Scouts over the weeken. She is very happy that she gets to start, now she will be working with her advisor to get her grant proposal done.

It is the first day of fall and has been absolutely beautiful this past week! We have been working on getting the garage cleaned out (btw - the barn is ready to go to a certain young man!). I will be running to Goodwill later this week - it is amazing how much STUFF gets collected over 20+ years of marriage. I found some things unopened; others open, but never used; and then the well used, but no longer wanted group of items. I think my trash can received more than the back of my truck, however it is packed almost to the brim! 8 more containers to go, then we will have cleaned out all rubbermade (and off brand) totes, hockey bags, milk crates, boxes, and shopping bags that were filled in the great exodus from our basement.

My youngest ds's are enjoying having their own rooms. My craft shelf (other than scrapbooking materials) has decreased from one room (small, but a room) to a single, floor to ceiling, 4' wide shelf. Kind of tough, but other than old quilt tops, there were a lot of craft projects I just will not get to for quite some time. Especially the ones still brand new are off to find homes where they can be enjoyed!

I took a lot of pics this past weekend and probably will this next week as well - the leaves are changing. The colors are always so beautiful. I cannot locate my camera cord (this is not good), so none of the newer pics are coming, but the ones posted are some that I really like.

Happy National Chocolate Milkshake Day!

Boy does this day sound yummy! Posted is a pic of some make and takes I have done. The shape on is fun - I have done snowmen, stars, and whatever shape appealed to me. It is simply six of the same shape cut out, folded in 1/2 and then glued together - they look cool for many seasons (sparkly snowflakes are fun). Hardest part -- keeping all six shapes identical size, but the cricut helps with that now!

Another school day - but more fun science things today and it is such a beautiful day out. We will also be processing some more brussel sprouts and peppers - gotta get everything in soon. Some of the apples are ready now too!

Well - I finished my first layered scrapbook page! It isn't as good as some I have seen, but I am really happy with it as a first attempt. I will post later - it is for a challenge from Scrapper Lady. I am also working to finish a challenge I gave her - the colors just aren't working as I hoped. Will see.

Enjoy a chocolate milkshake today!

Happy Rainy Day (At least in our area) :)

It is currently raining, but the fireplace is nice and warm. One of the boys cut his knee open today, so we had to run into the Dr. office to see about stitches. On the phone, the nurse said anything over 1" has to be looked at. Using a ruler, his measured 2 1/2" long, just below the kneecap, so in we went. Steri strips and super glue - wow, who knew! We had to put new stuff on at home - it only lasted about 2 hours. Hopefully by having him sit still for an hour before moving will help.

There is an upcoming crop at an lss - going with my friend Scrapper Lady. I am working on my decorator squares for one of Buster's swaps and some ATC's for one of Kimmo's.

We have our science room changed around for school. Much better lighting and bigger spaces - can't wait to use more now! Science is so fun! Right now we are planning on doing some balance experiments from Robert Krampf's website. One son was wondering why we needed a potato, 2 forks and a toothpicks for this one. Check out his website at http://www.krampf.com/experiments/Science_Experiment77.html

We got back from Girl Scout camp over the weekend where my daughter scored bullseyes during her archery sessions. She was happy because this year all her arrows hit the target. She prefers to use the "old fashioned" bows rather than compound.

My photo makes no sense, but is one with some kids opening up some new Heroscape figures. We really like to play that game - we are always collecting new figures and enhancing our battlegrounds.

Be Late for something day!

This is my kind of day :)

I am working on putting together my breakfast recipe swaps - here are a few of them to get your mouth watering!

I did a bagel recipe, MimsyMarie (CKMB) did Baked Oatmeal, Breakfast Turnovers (not sure who), Aebleskivers by Dueckcowgirl, and Almond Raisin Butter by KMG - more recipes to come!