Competition Solo

We're off to another competition this weekend and this time Ainsli's trio will be competing. I'm glad I was able to document how I felt last weekend watching Aubrei do a solo for the first time. I wanted the photos to be the focus, but I wanted to share the story too. I'm so proud of her and thankful that I get to be a part of these experiences.

To see credits of the kits I used go here.

Mad March Memories Blog Hop

Hey everybody! Its time again for a DHD blog hop, our excuse this time is Mad March Memories!

Today I've made a template for you out of one of my favorite layouts. Its simple, but I still love it! It incorporates masking, which I use on almost every layout I do. Most of you know what I'm referring to, especially if you've used templates before.

For those of you who don't, masking is taking a shape or element and clipping a paper, photo, etc. to it. In the case of this layout I used one of Robyn Meierotto's tags and created clipping masks for my photos.

Here is my layout:

And the template I made for you:

Click HERE to download it. I hope you enjoy!!

If you are on your way to get the collaboration, you will need my letter, which is E.

Your next stop on the hop will be Mary Rogers or back to DHD if you've gotten sidetracked along the way! Here is a peek at what you'll be getting . . .

If you would be so kind as to leave a comment or become a follower of my blog, I'll be drawing a winner for a $5 gift certificate on March 15th. Enjoy the great collaboration the designers have created for you and good luck with all the drawings!

6 months later . . .

I've finally scrapped Ainsli's 8th birthday. Yes, its 6 months late, but I've always found birthday layouts to be a pain. When Jen and Celeste designed the Sweet Bea collab I thought immediately of Ainsli. The colors were adorable and Ainsli LOVES pink. It was a birthday theme, but not in an obnoxious way. So I decided to try a birthday layout again. I did one page, liked it so well that I had to make it into a two-pager. So, maybe now I won't shy away from all those birthday pics I've been avoiding!

Today I got to help Ainsli's Activity Day group with making pillowcases. We had a really fun time, and I got the sewing bug again. Too bad that my machine started smelling like burning rubber as we were finishing! I guess we'll be looking for a repairman before I start anymore projects. Thanks to Amy and all the ladies that helped her - the girls really enjoyed it. Ainsli is very proud of her new pillowcase and is even letting her Daddy use it to take a "late" nap right now. :)

Recap

Its been awhile since I posted. I wish I had a great story to tell, but I don't. We were purely in survival mode, trying to get rid of all the sicknesses in our home. No fun. Brodyn was a sick little boy. He loved it when he was able to play games on the iPod to help pass the time.

The other layouts are just a few that I did with products from DHD. We've had some pretty cute stuff coming out lately. Definitely makes scrapping fun with cute new goodies. :)

Recently I was asked by our old neighbor John, to edit and type his new book. I love that sweet old cowboy, so of course I said yes. So that has kept my fingers busy lately! For once Brei isn't up late with homework, but I can't wind down - go figure!

My buddy is growing too fast!!

I did this layout for this week's 4play challenge at DHD. I've been loving these bright colors (Aubrei has me converted:). Brodyn is always making silly faces for the camera - it doesn't matter to me cuz I can still see his expressive, happy eyes. He's grown so fast lately, that I can't keep up with him.

He started in with a fever again last night, so apparently we didn't get rid of the pneumonia like we thought. When he's sick he needs his Momma constantly, which I am totally fine with. He's much more important than laundry anyway! But my backache this morning was another reminder that he's almost getting too big to hold and pack around.

We had a wonderful Sabbath day yesterday. It was the most touching and spiritual fast and testimony meeting I've attended in a long time. I'm thankful that the little Duncan boy had the courage to share his testimony of Christ and how the spirit touched him as we sang I Believe in Christ. What a beautiful gift he gave to the rest of us by setting the tone for the meeting and being such a glowing example to us all.

I was nervous about my lesson with the Young Women because I felt so much responsibility because of the importance of the lesson. But I was able to keep that sweet, calming spirit with me as I shared things most close to my heart. I pray that the spirit spoke to those sweet young women as well and that they internalized how sacred and special it is to be a woman. When I think of the potential they have I am truly in awe that Heavenly Father has allowed me to serve with them and be a part of their journey for awhile.

special deliveries

I made this page with Audrey Neal's new kit "Jar of Hearts" at DHD. The pictures were taken last year when the kids opened their valentine package from Grandma and Grandpa. Today we received more of the love that Grandma is so good at sending. I'm glad I preserved this memory of how important these moments are to them and how much they are loved. My parents are really great grandparents and I'm so thankful for that. They are constantly making my kids feel special and very loved. We are very blessed!

sickness = scrap time

I thought I would share some of what I accomplished the last few weeks while I was so sick. I feel good that I got something accomplished since sitting around is all I could make myself do - I was so miserable.

I love this page about Ry and Brodyn. They have such an awesome relationship.

(layout removed for publication)

I did this page for a challenge at DHD - (He's SO LITTLE!)

I got so many great pics while we were at Mom & Dad's for Christmas. I'm slowly but surely tackling them . . . The kids were on the 4wheelers every day.

Happy New Year!

We've had a quiet weekend because Ryan is working tons and I've not been feeling well. So I've been celebrating by working on scrapbook pages, pictures, and preserving my memories of this past year. It went by so fast, but we've been very blessed and I don't want to lose these stories.

I love these pages about Brodyn spending time with Kensey's sheep while we were at Mom and Dad's for Christmas. He absolutely loved it -

Here's to 2012! Let's make it a good one!!

Moment I Cherish . . .

Things have been so crazy lately that I haven't had any time to work on any creative projects and it's really been bugging me. Last night I finally was able to spend a little time sewing and I even finished a layout! I mostly used Robyn Meiretto's new kit "Cool Kid". The journaling is something I've been thinking about a lot lately as I contemplate Brodyn starting preschool soon. They just grow up too fast!

We are finally ready for Christmas and so excited that we get to go to Grandma & Grandpa's house!! Hopefully we can get everyone healthy by then. Can't wait!!

Ainsli's baptism

Ainsli's baptism weekend was so special, but I'll be honest its taken me awhile to catch back up with everything. Things are crazy busy around here with volleyball, dance and young womens. I wouldn't change a thing, but things do get a little crazy:) I'm so looking forward to conference weekend and the boost it gives me. Plus I hope to get in some scrapbook therapy time! This layout is from a template at Design House Digital - it went together so fast and that is a good thing for me right now!

Ainsli is my precious girl and I'm so thankful she was sent to our home by a loving Heavenly Father who knew what we needed most. She will always be my miracle baby. She is an amazing little girl and I am constantly impressed by her strength and desire to do what is right. It was nice to have so much support for her on her special day. She felt loved and that makes it worth every sacrifice.

Checkin off my list!

I got so many things checked off my list today that I was able to give myself some time to finish some layouts I've been working on. A couple are for challenges and others just for fun. The pictures are recent except for the one of Ains from a couple years ago. She still makes the same look though . . .

Brei is 1/2way through her 1st week of volleyball this season. She is loving it and having fun. She's also been working on a ballet solo for competitions this year and is always prancing around :)

Ains is so excited for her upcoming baptism and is constantly thinking of more things she wants to do while everyone is here. I'm excited too - looking forward to some special photoshoots.

B is my happiness. He is so funny right now and his imagination is my best friend (it keeps him occupied). He is growing a lot lately and the poor guy has leg aches almost every night. So I've been getting even more snuggles than usual!

Ry is crazy busy, but he still makes time to do things for all of us. I'm very thankful for him - not only is he my sweetheart, but he is my hope and my safe place.

I've been very blessed and my goal is to remind myself of all the things that are truly most important - it takes away some of the sting from the stressors in my life.

my baby is 4!!!

My special little man turned 4 a couple of weeks ago and he seems to have grow 2" and turned into a little man overnight. Gone are all traces of "babyness", while he works as hard as he can to be "like the big kids". . . He had a fun birthday - he had a lot of favorites to enjoy: cupcakes, water balloons and squirt guns, new boots, presents and olives! I made him "minion" cupcakes from Despicable Me, which he loved and has asked twice since if we could make them again. Its been a quiet summer filled with watering the gardens and trying to stay cool, but we finally were able to go fishing and the kids had a blast. I'm glad they enjoy it . . . I just take the pictures and stay out of the kitchen until everything is cleaned, gone, vaporized, whatever . . . :)

Brrr...

I thought I would share the layout I made for a DHD challenge. Yes, I know its spring, but in Wyoming there is always snow - so why not a snowy scrapbook page?! I made a word cluster for this page and uploaded it - so if you're a digital scrapper you are welcome to download it. Here is the link . . .

http://www.4shared.com/photo/RErH2R20/coldcluster.html

my reward

Taking the time to create this layout was "my reward" for walking until I couldn't feel my legs and avoiding the german chocolate cake on my counter! Things are going good!

backup to spring break . . .

I thought I'd share a page I did of Brodyn playing at Sagebrush on the only nice day of Spring Break. Yes, it was 2 1/2 weeks ago. I'm way behind and I know it! We really enjoyed Spring Break. The girls and I did a lot of projects and Brodyn was so excited to be able to go outside and play. Unfortunately he hasn't been able to since then, either because of the weather or sickness - poor guy! At our house we are just trying to survive right now. Ryan has been sicker than I've ever seen him in 16 years. He actually went to the ER on Saturday. Unfortunately I'm now starting to get it. I honestly don't care how the house looks, we're in survival mode from here on out!

Recent pages and therapeutic thoughts

I've been in need of some scrapbooking therapy and its working again. These are the only two pages that had recent pictures, so I thought I'd share. I love taking photographs, but when you take the time to really study them (which I do while I'm tinkering in Photoshop) and remember the story that is there to tell - it makes it so easy to remember your blessings.

I was reminded of how truly blessed I am while working on these pages. I don't need to worry about what others think . . . My children love me, my husband adores me, and my Heavenly Father is constantly blessing me. They don't care how much I weigh, whether I cry too much, or whether my clothes are out of style. I remembered that they love me for who I am inside and I need to learn how to do that too.

I love digital!

While I still love traditional scrapbooking and require an occasional paper fix, I must admit that digital makes accomplishing more so much easier. All four of these layouts were done this week while waiting in my car at the dance studio. Can I just say, I love my laptop. Normally I would be stitching or knitting in the car, but I am definitely burned out on crafts for a little while thanks to our recent Super Saturday. Most of these pictures are older, but their story still needed telling . . .

my scrap therapy :)

Here is a recent layout I did - I love it when scrapbooking helps us straighten out our thoughts and emotions. Life seems determined to make us forget our blessings in the craziness of life. I am very blessed and thankful for the hand of the Lord in my life.

Happy Birthday Ains!!

Its hard to believe our hurricane is 7 years old! This morning she got dressed in her favorite cowl-neck sweater dress and I curled her hair - she then squealed "I'm gonna be the prettiest girl at school!" Oh boy - She definitely keeps us entertained and on our toes.

She requested chocolate cupcakes for her party tonight, but I'm also making peach dream with the yummy peaches we got in Oregon on Monday. Yum!

Ainsli will always be my miracle baby who helped my testimony of prayer grow in leaps and bounds. She is now on dance team, doing ballet and gymnastics - but she'll always be my little girl no matter how old she gets! She still lets me cuddle her once in awhile, probably just humoring her old mom, but I'll take it!! Happy Birthday Angel!!

summer rewind

It took me getting sick to make time to work on pictures and scrapbook pages. Summer has been wonderfully full. Brodyn has loved snacking from the garden, catching and observing bugs and spraying his sisters with the hose! Ainsli accomplished riding without training wheels and is now zooming up to the school and back daily. The girls traded rooms and got the TV taken away and it has been Awesome since! Brei is excited for 7th grade and volleyball to start.

We've been fishing several times - this page shows the only day that no one caught anything. It was the most beautiful of all the trips though, so can't complain! The kids love fishing with their dad and I love watching them all together and taking pictures.
Ry and I are doing good. The gardens are thriving - we've canned lots of green beans and one batch of dill pickles. Ryan recently won a $750 Home Depot card - so we'll be doing the girls bathroom and Brodyn's bedroom - I'm so excited!

Despite getting sick, I'm feeling so great. As of two weeks ago I had lost 20 lbs. in 3 weeks. I love my new doctors and how much they are helping me. All of my pain is gone and I have so much more energy! We are so blessed and now to prepare for the upcoming school year and all that it entails!