Skating carnival

Austin has been taking skating lessons since fall. He is in CanSkate and got his level 1 & his level 2 badges this year.

Last night was the skating carnival-- their windup and presentation for the year. The theme was Grease. Oh, what a fun time! Austin was one of the football players at the pep rally-- so cute!! They skated to Oh Mickey (You're so fine).



The skaters got chocolate bunnies for participating, as well as a "record" with their name on it. Austin asked me what it was and I had to explain to him what people listened to before MP3s, CDs and cassette tapes!

Remember

Crystal suggested I scrapbook the photo of me holding my daughter while she's sleeping. I already did! So I thought I'd post the layout here:



If any of you would like to see more of my layouts, you can find most of them here:
My Scrap Shoppe Gallery (Leigh)

Everyday

We do this almost everyday. After lunch, we grab Sage’s soother and her blanket and sit together in the navy blue chair in our living room. Jonah often joins us and watches TV on the couch while I hold Sage until she falls asleep. It’s a nice cuddle time that I really enjoy. In the evening, we do this again, after we’ve eaten night lunch & her brothers are in bed. We sit together, I pray for her and she falls asleep in my arms.

Life artist

On Ali Edwards' blog today, she wrote this:

"I introduced my new name for scrapbookers/creative people who are into celebrating life through art: life artist. "Scrapbooker" just doesn't cut it - it is so much more than that name implies.

"So who is a life artist? Do you take photos of your family, yourself, your environment, your world? Do you tell stories? Do you bring them all together onto paper, into your computer, onto a canvas (or some other cool concoction)? Do you create art journals with all kinds of wonderfully interesting pieces of your life and thoughts and emotions? Do you celebrate your life through your art?

"You are a life artist.

"I am a life artist.

"And man, I love it."

I love this term!

I am a life artist.

So cool!

This little piggy...

... is so cute!

My mom bought this towel (along with a cat one and an elephant one) for the kids last Christmas. The boys were playing outside after supper (gotta love the longer days!) and I gave Sage a bath. She wasn't crazy about the towel until I started playing "This little piggy went to market..." with her. Then, she was giggling and pretty much just being her adorable self!

The ONLY way I like to camp...

I am not a camper. I never went camping until I was in grade 11 and didn't take to it well then at all. Cameron and I have camped a few times with friends or while travelling somewhere, but it's not something either of us have really enjoyed. The last time we camped was on the way back from B.C., where I was awakened in the middle of the night by Austin throwing up on MY sleeping bag! Not a pleasant experience at anytime, but especially unpleasant at 7 months pregnant. Needless to say, we stayed in a hotel the next night!

Now, however, I have a 3 year old who has been asking me lately if we can go camping. So, because I dislike it so much (& because there is still a TON of snow outside!), I came up with a good solution. This morning, I set up our tent in our basement so he and Sage could "camp". They loved it!

Five things

On CKonline today, I read this by Ali Edwards (love her!)

"Welcome to life. Before reading any further, stop. Look around and note five things in your environment, five things that are happening right now. "

Here are mine:

1) I'm chatting on the phone with Anita (love her, too!)
2) My laundry is waiting to be folded.
3) Jonah is watching Treehouse.
4) Sage is napping.
5)My furnace kicked in, warming up my cold basement.

Nothing too exciting, but this is my life on a typical weekday afternoon.

Easter cards

I worked on Easter cards this week to sell in the two stores that sell my LPDesigns cards. I decided to make them without buying anything new, that is, to use up some stuff from my stash. (I think I bought this Chatterbox paper right after Sage was born!) I'm pretty happy with how they turned out.

Coffee

Okay, so I don't actually drink coffee (a friend at church asks me when I'm going to be a grown up and drink coffee!) but I love to go for coffee. With Jonah & Sage as my constant companions, I don't actually get to go to a restaurant for coffee very often. But on Sunday evening, after the kids were in bed and Cameron was settled on the couch, I did get to go out with a friend for coffee. One drawback of the town where we live: the restaurants close at 10pm! So, the waitress let us linger a little longer as she cleaned up. So nice to visit, have a few fries (shh!) and talk without constant interruptions.
Then, this morning after taking Austin to school, our team went to another friend's house for coffee. So, my coffee comes in the form of hot chocolate (sugar free, of course!), but that's okay. It was nice to sit on her couch, with the kids occupied with different toys than they find at our house, and catch up. The days just seem so busy and are flying by, it was nice to reconnect with a very good friend this morning.
And now, with Sage asleep and Jonah watching Dora (even Sage can say "doe-a"!), I'm hoping to get some Easter cards made this afternoon, before picking up Austin and his friend from school this afternoon.
Just an example of the not-so-exciting, but ever-so-content-with life I lead!

Another inspiring quote

My friend, Heather, is doing a 21 day challenge, in which she creates a page for her art journal everyday. She's posting them on her blog and they are fabulous. Not only wonderfully designed, but filled with honest journaling and wonderful quotes. Here's one from today that really resonated with me:

"Only as high as I reach can I grow, only as far as I seek can I go, only as deep as I look can I see, only as much as I dream can I be." Karen Rayn

It's so true. I've been talking with a friend lately who always wants to get to the heart-- the centre of us. What really matters. And this can be hard for me. I don't always want to "go deep." Sometimes, shallow seems safest. But this quote reminds me that I'm only going to live a shallow life, if I refuse to "go deep." So, as hard as it can be, that's where I want to go.

Shopping!

It was a day off from school yesterday, so I took all three kids into the city to see my mom and do some shopping! We went to Old Navy, where we did pretty well. I've scheduled a professional portrait for Cameron and my 10th anniversary in April, so I was looking for clothes to wear for that. I found a coral cardigan for myself, and a coordinating cardigan for Sage. It's a lighter coral on top, with a strip of cream around the middle and a soft yellow at the bottom (the colours kind of blend into each other), so it's not the same as mine, but it'll match well together in the portrait. I also got her a black t-shirt, because I thought if we take some photos of the three kids together, I thought it would be nice if they were all in black. I got black t-shirts for the boys and Cameron--black with white stitching. (Although, Cameron said he doesn't like the stitching and the one for Jonah is kind of big. So I think I'll return them and try to just find some plain black t-shirts, which could be a challenge. Black is hard to find for kids.) I also ended up buying a black spring jacket for myself at the mall. We went to McDonald's for lunch-- always a hit with the kids! And we didn't stay too long at the mall. We hung out at my mom's condo for a bit in the afternoon, before driving home. All three of my kids fell asleep in the van, which made it a nice quiet drive for me, but a bit of a challenge for bedtime in the evening!

Something true

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It is not just in some of us; it is in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others."
--by Marianne Williamson

I read this quote in a John Eldridge book (Waking the Dead) a few months ago. My friend, Heather, posted it on her blog today. I reminded me of how much I liked it when I read it and how much I struggle with believing that it is true about myself. I can so often swing between believe that I am such a loser and that I am great. I'd love to stop believing the lies that I've been told (that I'm a loser) and start living with the belief, the sure, unshakable belief that I am "brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous." Wouldn't there be a lot more joy in that?

I just had to do it!!

I was looking at the layout I did called "Another pink jacket". (see next post)

Yes, I had stepped out of the box...
Yes, I had tried something new...

But did I like it?
No.

So I changed it. This afternoon, took off the photo and started fresh.

And am I happier with the results?
Yes.



So will I step out of the box again?
Probably.

I just know that if I'm not happy with something, I can change it. Why look at a layout and always think: "I don't like that one!" I'd rather have albums full of layouts that I'm happy with.

Isn't that part of the reason I create?

Great day!!

On Saturday, I went to an all day crop in Miami (before you get all excited, it was in Miami, Manitoba!) with my good friend, Anita. We had such a good time! The scrapping space we got was huge, with 8 feet of space each, but we got to sit across from each other, which was great for visiting! The meals were awesome, as was the company! What a great way to spend a Saturday!

Here are a few layouts from the crop:





This last one required some stepping out of the box on my part-- still not sure if I like it or not!



Thanks for looking (& for your comments-- I really appreciate them!)

(To see more of my layouts, you can go to my gallery at MSS: Leigh MSS gallery

I'm published online!

Simple Scrapbooks requested one of my layouts for publication online in their Simple Inspirations gallery. You can check it out here:

http://www.simplescrapbooksmag.com/inspiration/

(Mine is the first one!)

Another tag!

Another round of tag:

What scrapbook lines/products, etc. do you dislike? I don’t really like Basic Grey. Can’t figure out what everyone loves so much about it.

What is the hardest thing you have ever had to scrap? The pictures we took when my brothers were out the week my dad passed away.

What technique do you use more than anything else? I’m not sure… sewing on layouts, cutting out titles, making text boxes in Word.

What is the smallest scrap of paper you save? 12”x ¼” (Great for borders!)

Have you ever had any scrapbook related injuries? Carpal tunnel from cutting out titles! Just kidding!

Finish this sentence, "If I wasn't a scrapbooker/stamper, I would spend my money on..." Clothes, books, CDs.

Give us your best storage or organizational idea. My tool-storage drawers that I bought at a garage sale for $3. It holds most of my embellishments.

You just won a week long scrapbooking cruise for 5. Who is going with you? Anita, Heather M., Julie, Cindy & Bryan.

When you received your first publication notification, who did you tell? And if you are not yet pubblished, who will be the first person you share the news with? My husband, my kids (they didn’t get too excited!), my family, my friends… pretty much everyone I know!!

If you've read this, consider yourself tagged!

Toothless

Austin lost his two front teeth on Monday. Both of them. In the same day. He can't remember where he lost the first one at school-- only that it came out, he was bleeding and he has no tooth to show for it. The second one fell out in the evening, when I was out. Something about a collision with Jonah... But at least they found that one! I wasn't looking forward to him losing his front teeth, but I must say, he still looks pretty cute!

Baby Shower

I told my church last year that I would be in charge of planning the baby showers at our church (or at least making sure that they happen). First-time moms get a shower. So, tomorrow night, my friend, Val & I are having a shower at the church for three first-time moms. We'll set up during the day, some women agreed to bring trifles, Val's making the coffee, another woman is bringing the punch & I'll be the host. I don't have to do too much talking, which is good. One other woman will speak as well and I've asked Merley, Val's sister-in-law to pray for the moms.

I did, however, offer to make the cards.



Hopefully it will be a good time for everyone and will show the three new moms our support & encouragement.

Saturdays

Saturdays at our house mean many things. We don’t have to rush around in the morning because we don’t have to take Austin to school. We can relax and take the day as it comes. We can do things we enjoy, like watch TV, play, colour, scrapbook and have a movie night. On Saturdays, I might try to get some housework or baking done, or we might go to Winkler for some errands or visit Cameron's dad, but for the most part, it’s just a day we can enjoy at home as a family.





I love Saturdays.

Good Things

Waking up early and not having to rush around like a madwoman to get Austin to school on time.

Reading a novel & getting so into it that I don’t want to do anything else.

Getting emails.

Scrapbooking.

Checking sites and blogs on the Internet.

Getting together for coffee with friends.

Sugar-free treats like Chapman’s Dutch chocolate ice cream, Reese’s peanut butter cups, Hershey’s chocolate bars with almonds and Crystal Light Pink Lemonade.

Being Coke-free for five years this month.

Going to scrapbooking crops with friends.

Reading on the couch with Austin (both me reading chapter books, like the Chronicles of Narnia, to him, and him reading his books from school to me.) Watching him become better at sounding out words, making connections and doing math. Playing word games with him & seeing him get all excited about what he’s learning.

Cuddling with Sage in the evenings in the blue leather chair to get her to fall asleep.

Sage’s naptime.

Playing “I Spy”, “Knock, knock,” Hide & Seek, and Chase with Jonah.

Watching Survivor on Thursdays, cuddled together on the couch, eating popcorn, naming off who’s in and who’s out during the opening credits.

Friends who love & support me.