My latest creation...

I've been working on this digital/hybrid book for Evan for a month! Finally finished it today. I used Adventures in Fun kit and Alphamaps from Mad Scrapper Designs at Treasures to Scrap. LOVE this kit...and the alphamaps!!!!! Each letter has a photo of Evan through the years and words that describe him. Even scanned some of his baby photos and put in there. I think he was touched when I gave it to him...but well, with an 11 year old boy, it's hard to tell!!!!!

He's now out of elementary school! WHERE did the past 7 years go??? Yesterday at an awards ceremony he received honor roll AND The President's Award for Academic Excellence (along with a letter from the president!). Today we had to go get a frame for it and he wants to hang it in his room!

So now, what to do with him for the next 2 1/2 months!!!! LOL!!!!!

I am here.....

I've been a bad blogger...and having the tracker of who visits, I can see people have actually be checking in here!!!! So...I am here!

What have we been up to lately???? Here's the run-down!

1. Camping over Mother's Day weekend with some friends! Had a great time...boys caught their first fish ever!!! Evan even ATE it! BIGGER suprise than them having the patience to fish!
2. We bought a Wii!!! Need I say more...that thing is ADDICTING!!!! We've had it since end of March but lately we have bought a few new games for it and we just can't stop playing!!! Big Brain Academy..."measures" how big your brain is! WELL.....Dave started out with a bigger brain....let's just say I had to practice daily for a few days to get a BIGGER brain than him!!! Then we bought WiiFit......and now the race is on to unlock the different games! And if anyone says that some of those games are NOT a workout, they are LYING! We also bought Mario Cart....let's just say we are a very competitive family!!!! LOL!!!!
3. End of elementary school is winding down for Evan! BOOOOHOOOO! My little boy will be joining the 1600 kids at our junior high next year! Lots of fun things happening these past few weeks!!
4. Trying to get caught up in scrapping requirements and duties!!!!! Been working on a digi/hybrid ABC book as a gift for Evan. Finally got it all printed...now to just put the finishing touches on it!
5. Gearing up to work for 2 weeks in June.....not sure I am really ready (or want to) but oh well! This is also the class I will be teaching for 3 months next year.
6. Starting to plan and prepare for our trip to England this summer....can't wait!

Well..that's what we've been doing in a nutshell!!!!

Thursday 13.....

Things that make me happy....today's topic for Thursday 13!

1. My child's excitement in reading a good book. Evan and I just spent 15 minutes searching for the next books in a series he's gotten into reading.....seeing his excitement in the fact that there are 9 books in the series (he's read 3....) but his disappointment to see that only the first 4 have been published here in the states. That's my boy....

2. Curling up with a good book myself......I've read 17 books so far...in 19 weeks this year. Falling a little behind my book a week goal but there was about a week that I just couldn't get into a good book so I kept switching! I'm sure I'll catch up later this summer!

3. The library....it makes me happy! I am so thankful to my friend Michelle who taught me how to search online for books and reserve them (sometimes before the library had even received a copy!).

4. Being able to walk into "my" old classroom (really, just where I was long term subbing) and have the kids genuinely excited to see me. After the year I had a couple years ago..it' makes me happy that I AM making a difference in their lives.

5. Knowing we are getting away this weekend for a fun weekend of camping with friends!

6. Learning how to do more digi scrapping...or rather hybrid scrapping (combining paper and digi!)

7. Being able to line up sponsors for the design team over at The Shaker Box...we've got some good ones lining up!

8. Having made the most important travel arrangements for our trip to England this summer.....all hotel reservations are made, things are starting to get mapped out. Now that I know WHERE we are staying, we can start planning WHAT we want to do and see! It's just over 2 months away!

9. Getting notice that Alex was placed in the class I requested for 4th grade!!!! Whooo HOOO!!! I am happy with the teacher he was placed with for next year. It means a change in track schedules for him but it's well worth it, Ms. B's an amazing teacher!

10. Being blessed with friends makes me happy....through scouts we have made such great friends. Friends who really care......one is a 16 year old boy who was concerned about DH the other night cause he just didn't seem himself....brought it up to his mom. How many 16 year olds really pay that much attention???

11. Being blessed by my online friends.......who else can you vent/whine/complain to and never be embarrassed?? I love the fact that the Shaker Box is a community of amazing women who "air our dirty laundry" on occasion, ask for prayers for many reasons and are just there for each other!

12. Being able to fit into shorts I couldn't a month ago!!!!!! I was so excited the other day when I tried on a pair of shorts that didn't fit me back in March!!!!!

13. My family....that's what truely makes me happy!

Yosemite In May Slide Show

A few photos from my trip earlier this week to Yosemite National Park. I can never spend enough time in this park. There is always something different to see, to discover.

Scrappy weekend......

For years the boys have the other one's name on their bedroom door cause somehow in the past 9 years they have switched rooms! LOL! So...I made these altered names for their doors...now to pry the old ones off! I used Alphamaps and Adventures in Fun digi kit by Mad Scrapper Designs and chipboard letters!
Shaker Box had a challenge this weekend to scrap a heritage page. I have totally be avoiding scrapping photos of my mom but I finally did a couple pages. Maybe it's time I start scrapping these. Mother's Day this year would be my mom's 75th birthday!

Love this photo of my mom when she was about 2-3 years old. She had one similar to this hanging on the wall next to a photo of me....so many people thought that this was me!

Been a busy week....haven't been working full time but seems as though I am busier (or it feels that way) when I am not working full time. Maybe it's because of the lack of daily/hourly routine that just makes it seem like I am busier! I know this week I am busy.....Mon--errands, relay for life meeting, scouts...Tues--all day field trip to Yosemite with Evan's class (yep, tune in later this week for new Yosemite photos!)...Wed--teaching....Thurs--teaching....Friday--packing for a camping trip. We're spending Mother's Day weekend camping with a couple other families.

Here's my Satisfied SIX for the weekend..things that left me satisfied this weekend

1. Dave saying that he was going to try to make his work hours 4am-4pm. Long days but at least he'll be home in the evenings for dinner, activities, etc.

2. Seeing the boys get their religious medallions at church today..they were so proud of themselves...and Alex was so excited to go to church this morning!

3. A GREAT weekend....did some geocaching, some bicycling, had ice cream for dinner

4. A chance to scrap this weekend...had been a while since I had really gotten a chance to play with paper and glue...oh and the computer too!

5. I got some housecleaning done this weekend....felt good.

6. I managed to get new patches sewn on Evan's uniform last week and have started sewing some new patches on his blanket.