What a great...

scrapbooking weekend!

We hosted our scrapbooking weekend! We hosted our monthly online crop this weekend at MSS and it was great. Lots of challenges. Lots of fun.

Susan came over on Friday night and, after a not-so-quick run to Walmart and the Shoppe, we scrapbooked together until after midnight.

On Saturday, I was able to scrapbook in snatches here and there and I just finished up a layout tonight.

I loved the challenges and loved getting #1 through 9 done out of 10. Don't know why that excites me, but it does! So here what I got done this weekend:


This layout was for the challenge I posted, which was to put a title on your photo.


The mini book I created (and fulfilled Marcy's challenge to use 7 products from different manufacturers.)


Austin's field trip layout for Liz's challenge to use something you'd normally throw away on a layout (I used the map of the park) and Val's challenge to combine circles and squares.


This layout was for the copycat challenge-- I scraplifted a layout from Anita's gallery.


Marcy challenged us to use negative space on a layout (not a very difficult challenge for me, as I am a fan of negative space.)


And Liz's first challenge was a sketch challenge. I made this layout using her sketch.
Thanks for looking!

10 things

Gratitude.

Ten things that I am grateful for...

1. A God who loves me and knows my name

2, 3, 4. Three beautiful, healthy children.

5. A warm house that I love.

6. That spring is coming (I know it is!!)

7. A husband who's willing to make our marriage work.

8. Great friends.

9. A fun evening planned for tonight with friends, scrapbooking and an online crop at MSS.

10. Sugar-free chocolate.

What are you grateful for?

Telling it like it is...

For a My Life, My scrapbook challenge on MSS, Jen suggested we list 10 of our favourite something (books, movies, whatnot...)

Anita posted her take on the challenge, which was to ask her son to list her 10 favourite things. (You can see her fabulous layout here.)

After signing up for the Kid Perspective class at Big Picture Scrapbooking, I thought this would be an interesting way to include some of my kids' perspectives in my albums.



So, I asked Austin to write down 10 things that I love. Here's what he came up with and the layout I made with it:





Some of the answers surprised me (like #7-- tag!) but all in all I was pretty pleased with his perspective-- especially where he listed himself twice!

Le Festival du Voyageur

Austin's class went on a field trip to le festival du Voyageur yesterday. And of course, I volunteered to go along.

I love going along on his field trips. He has such a great class that I really enjoy connecting with. And I love watching him interact with his friends and take everything in.

I especially enjoyed going to the Festival du Voyageur park in old St. Boniface yesterday. It totally brought back memories of going there on field trips with my school as a kid. And now, Austin's doing the same thing. Kind of a neat thing to connect on.

When we got there, we walked around and looked at the ice sculptures which were amazing.

Then we went to the toboggan run where the kids got to slide down the hill on innertubes.

After that, we had lunch (we brown bagged it!) Then heard an outdoor presentation about transportation in the time of the voyageurs. This was followed by a horse drawn sleigh ride.

Then, the kids enjoyed playing on a large snowhill with a pole with ropes attached to it sticking out of it.

Then we stopped at the Cabane a Sucre (the sugar shack) and saw them make taffy by pouring warm maple syrup on snow and rolling it up on a popsicle stick. This was followed by a presentation of an aboriginal legend of the creation of Lake Manitoba and a craft. After another stop at the washroom, the kids loaded back on to the bus for the ride home to Morden.

Joy in the moment

I found this quote on Ali's blog this afternoon:

"...but the biggest mistake I made is the one that most of us make while doing this. I did not live in the moment enough. This is particularly clear now that the moment is gone, captured only in photographs. There is one picture of the three on them sitting in the grass on a quilt in the shadow of the swing set on a summer day, ages 6, 4, and 1. And I wish I could remember what we ate, and what we talked about, and how they sounded, and how they looked when they slept that night. I wish I had not been in a hurry to get on to the next things: dinner, bath, book, bed. I wish I had treasured the doing a little more and the getting it done a little less." (Anna Quindlen)

When I read this, it totally struck a chord with me. I do that. I don't live in the moment enough. It seems as if my mind is always already onto the next thing.

And I was also struck by connecting this quote to my word for the year: joy.

I wonder how much more joy I would find in the moment, if I paid more attention to it (really lived in it) and didn't rush it along so much.

Just a thought.

These two...

are so much fun!

I love being a stay-at-home-mom and getting to enjoy Jonah (4 1/2) and Sage (2 1/2) on a daily basis.

Here are a few pictures I took today of things they did that made me smile.

Jonah giving his iguana a "ship ride." (After their baths, Cameron puts the kids in a towel and swings them back and forth. They call this a ship ride.)



Sage "hiding" in her room on her change table.





Jonah and Sage "being animals."



Just hanging around.



Playing Go Fish with Jonah while Sage napped.



Hope your day is full of smiles, too!

Why I scrapbook...

In Ali Edward's ezine today, she challenged everyone to come up with their own personal scrapbooking (or creating) manifesto.

She gave suggestions to finding it and asked us to answer the question: "why do I create?"

I discovered scrapbooking 4 years ago through my good friend, Anita. She was selling scrapbooking supplies at the time and when we had Bible study at their house, I loved looking through her albums. I'd think: "I would love to do this."

So, in May 2003, I dove in, hosted a CM party and haven't looked back. (Well, except during my first trimester when I was pregnant with Sage-- then the very thought of scrapbooking made me feel nauseated. Thankfully, that passed.)

For me, scrapbooking is a lot of things. But mostly, I think, it's telling the story behind the photos in a creative and enjoyable way. I love every aspect of scrapbooking: photographing, cutting, adhering, tearing, embellishing, journaling... When I started scrapbooking, it felt like finally everything clicked and I'd found a craft/artform that I could do and enjoy.

So, for my manifesto, I'd probably say:

1. It's good.
2. Tell the story. (which by the way, can be about the event, or just sharing your thoughts on the subject of your photo.)
3. Use your mistakes to make your layout better.

That's about it for now, but I might add to this later with a little more thought.

A typical Sunday

Today, was a typical Sunday.

Got up. Got myself and the kids ready for church. Our first service starts at 9:30 and this is the one we attend. During second service, Sage and Jonah go to preschool Sunday school (J.A.M.-- Jesus And Me) and Austin and I go to R.O.X. (Radical Over Christ). During both services, Cameron runs the P.A. This morning in R.O.X., our lesson was about prayer.

After church, we went through the McDonald's drive-thru and picked up lunch to bring home and eat. After lunch, Sage and Cameron took a nap. Jonah and Austin played on the computer. And I made brownies & scrapbooked.

After Sage's nap, we watched A Bug's Life on TV. I made waffles for supper. We all hung out together in the living room.

Austin got his dominoes out in the evening and set them up.

Unfortunately, Cameron wasn't feeling well, so he went to bed early.

Sage and Jonah got baths. We had a snack, read some stories and tucked the kids into bed. Austin stayed up a little later and read to me.

Once Austin was in bed, I checked a few items I'm watching on ebay, updated my blog and waited until 10pm to watch Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip.

A relaxed, casual Sunday. The best kind of day.

February 1st

I cannot believe that February is already upon us... Wow, January just flew by!

And with the arrival of February means that the Design Team at MSS have posted their layouts using the fabulous February kit.

Here are the layouts that I made with it:

(for Sage's album)




(for Jonah's album)


(For Austin's album)


(For my family album)


(Also for my family album. This one makes me smile-- I asked Austin to take the photo and it took , like, 10 tries before I got one I was happy with!)


(And this I made after being inpsired by Lisa McGarvey at Two Peas. I decided to do something similar for my word for the year and framed it with my verse.)


Happy February!

Waiting...

Waiting for the kids to fall asleep.

Anita lent us Save the Last Dance 2 and I want to watch it tonight. But Sage keeps calling from the bedroom.

Cameron is the softy. I don't put up with it for as long as he does. I'm mean. I'll close her door and tell her good night. (then of course, I'll open the door and ask: "Will you stay in your bed?" "Yes." "Then I'll open the door. But stay in your bed. Night, Sage.") And she'll obey. But Sage has her Daddy wrapped around her little finger, so it can drag out the bedtime routine a little when he's home.

I'm tired though and would like to get to bed early.

Oh well. Guess I'll wait a little longer...

Online Crop

I'm helping host the online crop this weekend at MSS. Last night, from Anita's (where I had a great time!) Today, from home.

The challenge that I posted last night was called "Stamp it Up" and it was to stamp on chipboard. Here's the layout that I did for it: (it's also my layout for Ali's challenge to list our scrapbooking essentials)



Here are a few more layouts that I made using the different challenges.

For two challenges: Marcy's Split personality (to journal on patterned paper and cardstock) & Jen's Lyrically speaking challenge to include song lyrics on a layout:



For Anita's challenge to not use anything "new" on a page:



For Marcy's magic number challenge: to use seven embellishments:



Thanks for looking!

What I did today...

Took Austin to school.
Put away laundry.
Did the dishes (three times!)
Cleaned my bathroom.
Talked on the phone.
Played with pictures on my computer.
Uploaded my pictures to Walmart.
Picked up Austin from school.
Made meals (again, three of them!)
Cleaned up two of Sage's accidents.
Made this:

Weekend Scrapbooking

Last night and this morning and afternoon, I spent at my church. We organized a crop there for the weekend. Tracy was quite shocked when I was still there last night at 1am-- but I left shortly after that. Was back at 9am. Took a quick trip to MSS in the morning, but otherwise stayed at the church all day. Got eight layouts done (4 last night and 4 today-- it took me four hours to get one done this morning/afternoon!) But the good news is: I'm almost done scrapbooking my Christmas photos! YAY!

So now, I'm home. I watched Shrek with my kids this evening. We ate popcorn and I snuggled under a blanket with Jonah & Sage. It was a great way to end my day.

Before I head to bed, here are a few layouts that I got done from the weekend:

A good story

I love a good story. Whether it’s a television show, a novel or a movie, I love it when I can totally get into a story to the point where I forget everything else that’s going on. Or where, when the end of the novel (or show, or movie) comes, I’m sad to say good-bye. Or where I get so totally caught up that I laugh out loud or cry.

I took Austin & Jonah to go see Charlotte’s Web a couple of weeks ago at the movie theatre in Winkler.



And even though I knew the ending, I cried. With tears rolling down my cheeks. I had to get a grip so I wouldn’t start sobbing.

And then the best part: Austin was sitting two seats down from me and when Charlotte was “languishing”, he looked at me, and it was like looking at a mirror. He had the exact same expression on his face and tears in his eyes. I loved seeing him get as involved in the movie and that it touched him. It was a wonderful moment.

Today...

would have been my dad's 71st birthday.

But instead, we lost him 6 1/2 years ago to a battle with cancer.

My dad was such a great man. Quiet. Respectful. An english gentleman.

He was funny. Witty, I guess. He loved a good pun. (An aside, I think I got most of my high school english teacher's jokes because he had the same sense of humour as my dad. So I would be laughing, while the rest of the class would be confused. They probably thought I was sucking up, but I wasn't. I just thought he was funny.)

My dad loved to golf. When he retired, he spent a lot of his time golfing. And going on winter trips with my mom so they could golf.

In this picture, he's holding Austin when Austin was a day old. He was so proud to be a grandfather. He passed away just over a week before Austin's first birthday.

It makes me sad that my dad has missed so much of Austin's life. And that he never met Jonah or Sage or Noah (Trevor's son.) It's really too bad, because he was a great grandad.

It seems crazy to me that I can still miss him so much after almost seven years.

But I do.

Tuesday

Nothing much to post... Had coffee with Anita this morning. Always a good time. So relaxing and easy to just visit and talk about anything and everything.

Getting ready for our first crop at our church on Friday night and Saturday. We've got over 15 people signed up so far. Hoping it goes well (it should, but I worry nonetheless.) We want to go and purchase door prizes on Thursday evening at MSS. (Totally looking forward to that!)

Can't think of anything else to write-- I think I'll head downstairs and scrapbook a little while Sage is still sleeping (Marcy's sketch had gotten me all inspired!)

Willow Tree Angels

My collection of Willow Tree angels began several years ago, when one of my closest friends, Val, gave me one for my birthday. It was the angel of happiness and I was absolutely delighted with her.

I received my second one from Val the following Christmas-- an ornament-- the angel of beauty. And for almost every birthday & Christmas since, I have gotten an angel from her as a gift.

I love my collection of angels. I think that they are beautiful and wonderfully crafted. But what I think I love most about them, is that when I look at them, I think of Val and the treasure that our friendship is to me.











I made the mini-album with 5”x6” chipboard, Daisy D’s patterned paper and a We Are Memory Keepers decorative eyelet. I cut a brown hair elastic and attached it to the back with a We Are Memory Keepers snap, so that it loops around to the front to keep the album closed. I used Jessica Sprague’s Echoes of Asia digital kit to add frames to my photos, and I added text as well in my Microsoft Picture it Publishing.

My joy journey

I had to stop at my church yesterday to take care of some R.O.X. stuff. While I was in the library, this book caught my eye.

I started reading it this morning and liked what was written in the introduction:

"If you were to define joy, how would you do it?

Scripture gives us clues. For starters, Nehemiah 8:10 tells us the joy of the Lord is our strength. First Chronicles 16:27 tells us that strength and joy are in God's dwelling place. John 16:24 tells us to ask and we'll receive so that our joy will be full. John 16:20 promises that our grief will turn to joy.

No matter what definition of joy we use-- abundance, happiness, fulfillment, whatever-- our relationship with God is integral to true joy in our lives."

Not up to very much today. Cameron's taking the van (his truck broke down at the farm and he need to go and work on it) so Jonah, Sage and I are chillin' at home. (Cameron suggested I walk to get Austin at lunch and then walk him back afterward, but I sent a lunch along with him, because otherwise we would really be chillin', because it's freezing outside!)

Tuesday

Not up to too much today.

Had a new friend over for coffee this morning. Things we have in common: both teachers who aren't working right now, both moms, both Christians, and both... scrapbookers. So needless to say, we had lots to chat about!

I got my scrapbooking space rearranged last yesterday. I stole the shelving unit out of Sage's room and reorganized all my stuff. Went through my stuff and created a pile to give to Carley, our babysitter.

Here are some pictures of my "new" space:





I'm quite excited about this. Everytime I go downstairs and look over at my area, it makes me smile! And here's the layout I created this afternoon there:

I used pictures from when we went to my mom's to help her set up her tree. (It came out a little orange in the scan-- it's lighter irl!

Tonight we have Bible study. Not terribly excited about going. We're (Cam & I) are in a group with three other couples. But the other couples are all in their late forties/early fifties with kids all grown and out of the house. (One couple has grandkids Austin's and Jonah's ages.) Anyway, just not feeling like I'm connecting well with them-- even after a year and a half. Kind of wishing we could be in a group with couples who are in the same stage of life as us.

Anyway, enough rambling for today...

A word for 2007

When Ali Edwards challenged me to choose a word for 2007, the word “joy” immediately popped into my head.

I think there were a few reasons for this.

Three years ago, at our church’s women’s retreat, we were put into small groups for the weekend. In my group, we were asked to speak God’s word sitting to the person beside us. Cindy Penner spoke the words to me: pure joy.

This totally resonated with me. Not because it’s what I felt I had or expressed in my life. But because, that was my desire. To be a person who has pure joy.

When attempting to define joy, I found most of the definitions to contain the word happiness. Which I get. But I also think that joy is something more. Something deeper. Something lasting, that isn’t dependant on circumstances. It’s just there, regardless of what’s happening around us.
Along with the word, I thought I’d choose a verse to go with it to be my verse for the year. So, I went to Bible Gateway to search for a verse. And found 333 references for joy in the New Living Translation. When I started reading some of them, especially in Psalms, I found something interesting:

Almost all of the verses that resonated with me connected joy to God. Being in God’s presence. Seeking Him. Trusting Him. Being full of joy in Him.

So, this is my word for the year: joy. And though I’ve chosen seven verses (so far) that I’d like to meditate on throughout the year, my chosen verse for 2007 is Psalm 16:11: “You will show me the way of life, granting me the joy of your presence and the pleasures of living with you forever.”

This is what I want to be: a woman of joy. Not because my life is great and everything is going well. But because I'm finding joy in being in God's presence and in trusting in Him.

The right thing to do

Do you ever have those moments where you don't know what the right thing to do is?

Not a moral or ethical dilemma.

Just unsure what's best for my kids. My husband. Me.

Tonight, Cameron and I were suppose to go to a Congolese fundraiser supper at our church tonight. It was time to get ready. We'd just gotten home from picking up Cameron at the farm and stopping at Giant Tiger to pick up milk and some panties for Sage (we're potty training!)

Jonah had fallen asleep in the van and when I carried him in, he wanted to be held. So I indulged him.

Then I mentionned that Carley would be coming to babysit. And he started to cry.

Normally, it wouldn't have bothered me. I'd have thought: "He'll get over it and be fine."

But tonight, for whatever reason, I couldn't. So I called Carley and cancelled. I don't think she was very happy about it.

And I felt bad.

Then Cameron questioned my decision and said he'd been looking forward to going with me.

And I felt bad.

And then my brother called and when I told him, he reminded me that Jonah would have been fine 3 minutes after I left.

And I felt bad.

And when I suggested to my kids that maybe I should go, Austin said: "No, I want you to stay mom."

So I stayed at home with them this evening.

Not sure if it was the right thing to do or not.

Sometimes it's hard to know what the right thing to do is...

Good things

Here are a few things that I've enjoyed over the holiday season:



Hanging out with this guy for a couple of days (believe it or not!)

This is my older brother, Trevor, who took this photo himself with my camera and told me that he wanted to see it on my blog. So, here you go, Trev.



Spending time with my nephew, Noah. He's Trevor's 3 1/2 year old son and is adorable. I think what makes him even cuter is the fact that he speaks in French 99% of the time. Trevor insisted that I speak to him in english and by the end of the second day, Noah had replied to me in english once(which was also very cute!)



Spending time with friends (ALWAYS a favourite thing to do!) This morning, I had coffee with Anita and she took this picture of our girls. I think it looks like they're doing some sort of interpretative dance, but they were really just chasing each other around the living room.



Playing games with my kids. Jonah and Sage got Dora YUM and Diego Lotto for Christmas from their uncle Trevor and they've been quite a hit. I've also played Battleship with Austin (also from Uncle Trevor) a couple of times (he creamed me yesterday with no help!) and I taught him how to play Yahtzee last night (a huge favourite of mine from when I was a kid!)



Scrapbooking with Austin tonight. He's been telling me for a while how he's good at scrapbooking and hinting that he'd like to scrapbook with me. So tonight, after supper, we went downstairs to my scrap space and made the above layout together. I was surprised that it wasn't as frustrating as I thought it would be-- it was fun and a great way to spend time together one on one.

Christmas in Winnipeg

On the 27th, we went to Winnipeg to celebrate Christmas with my mom. My older brother, Trevor, and his son, Noah, flew out from Montreal to join us.

We stayed the night at the Canad Inns on Pembina Hwy and a had a great time enjoying their pool. Here are a few of my favourite pictures that we took there:



(I'm not sure why Cameron wears a shirt in the water. Trevor asked me if it was a religious thing. Not to my knowledge...)



This little girl looks so good in a bathing suit! (Although Trevor felt the need to tease her about her thighs-- he said I should put her in speed-skating!)



This little boy is so adorable-- love him!



We had such a blast going down the waterslide! Jonah and I must have gone down it together at least a dozen times!