Special Occasions

Summer is always a busy time for us. My girls definitely keep me busy and I find it a little harder to get some pages done with both of them at home. It is almost impossible to keep Ayden inside on those bright sunny days. Likewise, it is almost impossible to convince Raquel into going outside. Now that she is older, she would rather spend time on the computer. Thankfully she loves to read, so on our recent trip to the dentist, in the city, I bought her a new series of books to read, (it's never much fun to start a series and than have to wait for the next book). I myself know all about that, as I recently finished the fourth book in George R. R. Martin's series A Song of Ice and Fire and am now waiting to read A Dance With Dragons, which will soon be published (I hope).

I finally got a couple of pages done though. I started working on several at one time. I should know better, as I always find it harder to come up with a concept and it takes me longer to get them done. From now on, one at a time, unless it is a two page layout. I decided to use Vanessa's latest kit, which is currently on sale for a limited time in her store. The backgrounds in it are beautiful and some of the elements rather unique.

It was a perfect match for this first LO and gave me a chance to work with some of my old pictures. Some of the pictures weren't really in such great condition, but I restored them the best I could. This is my mom's 1st cousin and her family. Her communion dress was quite pretty, but I bet she must have been a little chilly as they were all standing outside for the family picture.

First Communion digital kit credits: Communion Kit from Blushbutter
Font used: Cataneo BT

This second page I did as a surprise for my cousin. This is my uncle with his granddaughter, at her baptism last year.

Baptism digital kit credits: Communion Kit & Flourish swirl Photoshop brush & digital stamp from Blushbutter
Font used: Edwardian Script ITC

It's kind of hard to believe it is almost August and summer is halfway over. Ayden is hoping Lady will be coming home soon. We got to go for our first ride on her a couple of weeks ago, and it was great. We still haven't really got a pasture fixed up for her yet, but once that's done we should be getting her home and than the girls can get in some riding practice. My parents and niece were down here a few weeks ago and we all had a wonderful visit. We took in the Bergen Rocks exhibition and also took Madison to the Calgary Stampede. It was her first time and I think she really enjoyed it. Both Raquel and Ayden are looking forward to a trip up to their grandparents house in about a week or so. My parents birthdays are both at the beginning of the month, so I though it would be a good time to go. Ayden birthday is at the end of the month as well. She will be turning four already. Time sure does go by quickly.

We've been enjoying some nice summer weather lately. Which of course at this time of the year means lots of thunderstorms later in the day. We sure do get some severe ones in our area of the province. But I have always enjoyed watching the lightening and listening to the rain. It's supposed to be quite nice this weekend is well, so hopefully we'll be able to get out and enjoy the long weekend. Hope you all enjoy it as well. Thank you so much for stopping by my blog!

Happy Mother's Day

I think one of the most amazing things in life, has got to be having a child and watching them grow and change into a unique individual. I certainly appreciate all the things my mom has done for me throughout my life. Now that I am older (and farther away), I wish I could spend more time with her. I miss the little things we used to do when I lived closer, like going out for lunch, visiting greenhouses with her or just stopping by for a cup of tea. My own children are growing up so fast and it is kind of hard for me to believe my son will be 20 at the end of the month.

The April challenge for Blush-n-Dusty was to do a page with your favorite color, using Blushbutter's newest mini kit, Favorite Color. I don't know if I truly have a favorite color, but I do prefer blues and greens to pinks and purple. So I decided to do a blue page because of that. I used one of my recent, favorite pictures of all my children together taken last summer. I printed this one out for my mom and mail it off to her for Mother's Day. Which is the reason why I didn't post it here till now, as I didn't want her to see it before then. Hopefully she got her card in the mail by now though.

My Children digital kit credits: Favorite Color Mini Kit and Favorite Color Kit from BlushButter.
Fonts Used: Edwardian Script ITC and Dani.

During the past several weeks we've been having some nasty spring storms here in southern Alberta. The power was knocked out several times (once all day) and the highways were closed as well. We had a fairly mild winter though, so perhaps we are paying for that now. The farmers were grateful for the moisture I am sure and at least the fire ban the county had on has been lifted. Once again the snow is almost melted and the green grass is showing. I spent some time cleaning out my flower beds the other day and the green shoots are starting to push their way out. The leaf buds on the trees are beginning to open also, so it would seem spring is finally on it's way. The weather is supposed to improve this coming week with temperatures returning to normal.

Due to all the snow, Raquel got to miss a few extra days of school as the buses didn't run, which made her happy. She had a sleepover at her friend, Taylor's last night, so Ayden is anxiously waiting for her to come home today. We also had a quick visit with Vern's mom a couple of weekends ago. It was nice for the girls to see her, as they don't get to very often. Ayden is eagerly awaiting some mail from her Grandma Doreen, who promised to send her a few pictures of their time together. Last weekend we dropped in at the arena where Lady is being broke, to check out how things are going. Ayden was thrilled as she got to sit on her back, in a saddle. Lady is making good progress and should be back home in a couple more weeks. This week we decided to save a couple of kittens from being taken to the SPCA. Raquel and Ayden are both quite happy with their new little pets. Meko and Mouse are quite the rambunctious pair, and it is certainly amusing to watch them, as it has been a while since we had kittens around here.

I hope you are enjoying your weekend. Thanks so much for taking the time to drop by my blog. I really appreciate your comments as well. Happy Mother's Day!!!

Think Pink

October is Breast Cancer Awareness month. This is one of the causes I always support. You can check out the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation site if you'd like, for more information or to find a way to show your support. The girls and I went shopping today and found DVDs for the Cure. We picked up The Princess Bride, (actually it's the 20th anniversary edition). It's always kind of been one of my favorites, good old Wesley saves his lovely Buttercup, after overcoming all those formidable odds. I thought, I would share this tag I made, just to remind everyone to THINK PINK.
Deb, at The Dapper Doxie is having the grand opening of her new store, from the 1st through the 12th of October. All Digital Scrapbooking supplies will be marked down 20%. Deb has her newest kit, A New Beginning, available in her shop and on her blog, she has an add on freebie, for a limited time. So what are you waiting for? Get over there and shop!

This is one of my favorite pictures, from this summer, of Ayden with her daddy. She loves to go see Vern on the job site. If he is working close to home, we will occasionally take daddy some coffee, so she can have a quick visit and check out the progress.
Strong & Gentle digital kit credits: Baily digital scrapbook kit from The Dapper Doxie (some items colorized).
Fonts Used: Windsong, Porcelain, Mutlu & WhoopAss

We had a beautiful Indian summer last week and spent quite a bit of time outside getting to know the new baby horses, we got at a sale last weekend. Mickey & Jewel are gradually beginning to accept us. They are only about 6 months old and are adorable. Both Raquel & Ayden love them and we are planning for Jewel to be Raquel's horse in a couple of years. Now we are up to 8 horses. Things should be getting back to normal around here, as the house Vern has been waiting to frame, is ready. This will mean more job site visits for Ayden, as it is not too far away.

My dad found some more information regarding that wedding picture from 1939. I've rearranged the page a little and added some names, if you are interested you can look at it here. The gentleman seated next to the groom is my great grandfather and I think most of the other people identified are great uncles and aunts. Thanks dad, for finding that information for me.

Thank you for stopping by my blog. Hope you have a good week. Take Care!

Bounce

We've had a busy couple of weeks and I haven't had much time to work on any pages. Vern's been off and getting a lot accomplished around the house and yard. He's contemplating adding an addition to give us some more room and he's finishing off the new front deck. Both of the girls have had horrible colds, but it seems like they are starting to feel better. My dad brought my aunt and uncle down earlier this week, before they headed back to Germany. We had a good visit, although it was pretty quick, but it was wonderful to see them. Fall is definately here, the leaves are falling to the ground and it has been cool. How quickly summer fades away. Soon we'll have to get out the mittens, winter jackets and boots.

I decided to do a page of Ayden having fun on the trampoline. She just loves to "bounce" and is always wanting to go out. Having as many balls as possible on the trampoline just adds to the fun. Ayden bounces until she is pretty much exhausted, but she sure has a good time. She has told us she needs an inside bouncer for the rainy days.

Bounce digital kit credits: Craft Scrapbooking Clipart Graphics kit, Gentle, Baby Girl Heart Strings Mega Kit, Digital Circle Frames Blue & Pink and Fairy Things & Butterfly Wings Digital Scrapbook kit from Blushbutter (some items colorized).
Fonts used: Heather, Jacki's Hand, & Jokewood

Thanks for your comments. Have a wonderful weekend!

Eency Weency Spider

Only five more days till school starts. The girls and I went into Calgary, to Market mall, on Monday. We managed to outfit Raquel with all her back to school clothes, (I wish her school had uniforms, it would be so much easier). I not really much of a shopper, so I'm glad that's all finished. We are off to Olds today, to drop Raquel off, as she is going to spend the long weekend with her dad. Ayden and I will be having a few quiet days by ourselves, till she comes back home Sunday. Then it will back to school, with routines and schedules. Summer went by so fast.

One of Ayden's favorite games is Eency Weency Spider. For Ayden's birthday, we gave her one of those musical cards, she just loves it! It plays the Eency Weency Spider song, she'll hold it open and dance around. It reminded me that I had these pictures of Ayden & my mom from their visit earlier this summer. Ayden had a terrific time playing with Grandma Barbara. She loves to have the "spiders" and the "rain" tickle her. The poem is an excerpt from a book published by Bank Street written by Joanne F. Oppenheim.

Eency Weency Spider

The Eency Weency Spider went up the waterspout.

Down came the rain and washed the spider out!

Out came the sun and dried up all the rain.

And the Eency Weency Spider went up the spout again.

Oh, Eency Weency Spider, weave your silvery web.

Oh, Eency Weency Spider, spin your silvery thread.

Upsy-downsy outs and ins, see how Eency Weency spins!

Eency Weency Spider digital kit credits: Fairies in the Garden, Snow Flakes Winter Kit, Boy Oh Boy kit, Unicorn and Fairy Clipart Kit (some items colorized) from Blushbutter.
Spider by Art Within Designs

Fonts used: Monotype Corsiva and Kayleigh

Thank you for stopping by my blog, have a great long weekend!

Happy Birthday Mom!!!

Happy Birthday, Mom! Hope you have a wonderful day. Thought maybe you would like to see your granddaughters, with one of your favorite little critters. We found this frog one day, on one of our walks. Raquel and Ayden had so much fun holding, petting and repeatedly catching it, until it jumped away in some tall grass. Ayden thought the frog was pretty neat and is still talking about how it jumped. Of course, she normally has to jump too, just to show us what the frog did. She looks so cute hopping around.

Prince Charming? digital kit credits: Easter Basket, Emerald Fairy Digital Scrapbooking Kit, Gentle (some items colorized) and Quilling Box of paper filagree from Blushbutter.
Photo benders from Dusty Bear
Template 28 from Gloria Val Verde at Moo Two Designs
Fonts used: Mutlu & Kayleigh

We've been having a good visit with Kyle. Both girls are enjoying the time they are spending with him. Kyle will be leaving Monday, so things will settle down again. Our appointments this week, went very well and now all we have left to do before school starts, is the back to school shopping. Maybe we'll get to that, at the end of next week.

Thanks for dropping by my blog! Have a nice weekend!

Canadian Beauties

This week it is supposed to be cooler, which will be a good change from last week's 30 degree days. The sun is not really my friend and I much prefer slightly cooler days. Tonight it decided to rain and it is actually quite chilly outside.


I got my pages from Canada Day completed. We had a nice time, just hanging out in the yard, enjoying Canada's beauty. Of course, the girls had to pose for pictures. Sometimes, I think, I take too many pictures but can there ever really be too many pictures?


Blush's new Unicorn kit, had the perfect colors for my Canada Day LOs. Ayden & Raquel really enjoy her magical graphics.
Canada Day 2008 I & III digital kit credits: Unicorn and Fairy Clipart Kit from Blushbutter
Fonts used: Cataneo BT & Brush 455 BT

Hopefully, for us, this week won't be so busy. Kyle is planning to stay for a few days, on his return from his adventures in BC and we have a couple of appointments, as well as back to school shopping. Yes, school will be starting soon, only a few more weeks of summer holidays left. I know Raquel has been missing her friends (not school). Take care and have a good week.

Happy Birthday Dad!!!

Today is my dad's birthday. Dad, I hope you have a wonderful day and your card is in the mail. I thought maybe you would like to see a picture of me for once, so here a little birthday present for you. Hope to see you & mom later this month.

We've had a couple of busy weeks. Raquel has been at her dad's for over a week and we are looking forward to her coming home next week. Vern had a week off, in between jobs, so Ayden and I haven't had a chance to get bored. As per normal, Ayden insists we spend most of our time outside. This week we've been hunting for wild strawberries, (I know they are yummy, because she won't share with me) and I think we've picked all the ones in the yard, much to her disappointment. It's so cute to hear her trying to say strawberries. It's hard to believe she will be 2 in a couple of weeks. Below is a picture Raquel took of us on Canada Day.

I used Blushbutter's newest kit, it is so enchanting (I love the fairy and the unicorn). This is the first of several pages I have been working on, that I am using it for. I hope to get the other pages, of the girls done soon, but with Vern being off this weekend and Kyle dropping in for a quick visit at the beginning of the week, that might not happen. Summer seems to be going by so fast...

Canada Day 2008 II digital kit credits: Unicorn and Fairy Clipart Kit from Blushbutter
Fonts Used: AdineKimberg & Adorable

Thanks for stopping by my blog, have a terrific long weekend!

Spaghetti! Spaghetti!

Summer is here! We've had some beautiful weather the past few weeks and the girls & I have been spending lots of time outside. Raquel is enjoying the fact that school is out for another year. She is so proud of herself for passing into Gr. 4. We had a busy couple of weekends, with Vern's mom & Jim stopping in and then Brian & Judy surprised us with a visit this past weekend. My mom & dad will be coming this weekend with Madison, so of course, the girls are looking forward to that.

Here is another page for the girls heritage album. I decided to do this page, because Raquel brought home the poem in her end of the year school work and I thought it was so cute. It seemed to go so well with this picture I had of Vern. Seems to me that this is exactly how a 4 year old feels about spaghetti. The poem is by Jack Prelutsky.

Spaghetti! Spaghetti!
Spaghetti! spaghetti!
you're wonderful stuff,
I love you, spaghetti,
I can't get enough.
You're covered with sauce
and your sprinkled with cheese,
spaghetti! spaghetti!
oh, give me some more please.

Spaghetti! spaghetti!
piled high in a mound,
you wiggle, you wriggle,
you squiggle around.
There's slurpy spaghetti
all over my plate,
spaghetti! spaghetti!
I think you are great.

Spaghetti! spaghetti!
I love you a lot,
your slishy, you're sloshy,
delicious and hot.
I gobble you down
oh, I can't get enough,
Spaghetti! spaghetti!
your wonderful stuff.

Spaghetti! Spaghetti! digital kit credits: A Touch of Legacy from Nath Fun Stuff.
Dragonfly by Art Within Designs from kit elements
Fonts used: Calligraph421 BT, Accent Wet Noodle, Alba, Papyrus & Blackletter686 BT

Thanks for your comments and have a nice weekend!

Bond of Love

Last year, my parents celebrated their 4oth wedding anniversary. We held an open house for Mom & Dad, at their place and had a good time visiting with family and friends. I feel fortunate to have parents that have stayed together through 40 years of life, for I know how hard that can be to accomplish. My parents have shared many experiences, both good and bad. I really respect the fact, that they are still together after all this time. They are a wonderful example of what love should be.

I just had to use one of Mom & Dad's wedding pictures, as I love the comparison. They look so young. One of the symbols for 40 years is the gemstone, ruby, so I decided to do a red page and use one of the kits I had stashed in my files for a while. I wrote the speech, on the page for the celebration we held and wanted to include it also. It reads as follows:

An anniversary is a time to reminisce about events in a couple's life. A time to acknowledge that the strongest of bonds is the love between husband and wife.
Each Anniversary is special and very dear, for the bond grows ever stronger throughout the years.
May this day be a very special celebration of your love, as you look back on all the special memories you have created during your 40 years together. Congratulations!

Bond of Love digital kit credits: A Day to Remember from Tina Williams Designs
Ruby Hearts frame by Art Within Designs
Fonts used:Adine Kimberg - Script & La Bamba LET

Have a nice weekend!

Walk Down the Aisle

The weather was beautiful this weekend. Vern took today off and we had a nice relaxing day. Looks like we will probably have a busy week this week. Raquel has a couple of Riding lessons. And with both of our birthdays coming up this weekend, there is some party planning to be done.
I was pleasantly surprised this week, when My Valentine LO of Vern, won the challenge for February over at Blush-n-Dusty Yahoo Group. (If you want to look at the page, please see post for Feb 10, 2008.) Thanks to everyone that voted for me. :)
One of our nieces, Andrea got married to Dan, last summer. I have lots of lovely pictures from their wedding and I decided it was time to start putting some pages together for her. They are expecting a baby in June, and we are so happy for them. Andrea & Dan's wedding was held outside and this is a beautiful shot of her father, walking her down the aisle.
Down the Aisle digital kit credits: Heathers Purple Rose Mega Kit and Sealed With A Kiss Wedding Kit from Blushbutter.
Fonts Used: Tempus Sans ITC and Tabor Handwriting.
This is an e-card I created this week using Blushbutter's beautiful graphics. It is available for use on Blushbutter's E-Card page, (without the text) and best of all the e-cards are free. There are lots of different e-cards available and they are easy to customize and add text to, or you can create your own from graphics provided. If you like to send e-cards or would just like to check out Blushbutter's E-Cards, please stop by her site.
Have a great week!

Beauty

One of our friends owns a garage and scrapyard. Raquel and I went for a walk around the rows of cars, when we were there for a visit last summer. Raquel looked so beautiful with her bouquet of wild flowers.

I used Blushbutter's newest kit, Gentle. It is such a gorgeous kit and has so many beautiful elements in it. I just love the colors and of course the beautiful fairies.
Beauty digital kit credits: Gentle from Blushbutter
Fonts Used: Quixley LET