My Mama's Mother Day Gift...

Many of you know I love making these cute little Scrabble Picture Pendants.... You can click here and here to see other posts on those and where to get the goodies to make them and how to make them. I finally got my mom's done today....so here it is...

It looks much better in person....i love the glass look over the picture. It's hard to see in this photo, but you put Diamond Glaze over the top and it look shiny and purty!

My favorite part of the story....

So many things going on this week with my kids and family...you know the end of year wrap up with sports and school events, even church and business things....but most importantly my family.

Life is so good to me...because as I sit at each concert, baseball game, graduation, birthday party, and banquet, I realize how blessed I really am.

I'm blessed to be able to participate and volunteer for whatever I want, whenever I want....and I have total control over all of it. I feel so blessed that I have the freedom in my schedule to do these things and be with my kids. Don't get me wrong, it's been a wild few weeks, I have let out a few screams and slammed a few extra Diet Cokes, but I decided that I was going to enjoy this chaos.

It's the chaos that I agreed to and signed up for. This is what my life is about...it's what I've always wanted it to be about. And it's here...and I'm living right in the middle of it...and I'm loving it.

So my beautiful bloggy baby is on hold for a few more days...I've only missed one day so far, but I have guilt. ;o) So I just wanted to give a heads up to any of you out there that are dropping in...I'm here, just enjoy a few more days of choatic life. Be right back...

Tuesday Tradition Favorites

I love traditions....Not sure if you noticed that or not, but I do.
I love them!

I wanted to highlight and share some of my favorite "Tuesday Traditions" that I posted a long time ago...when I was the only one who read my blog.

Lemonade Stands

Vacation Sand Collections

Daddy Daughter Dates

Easy Summer Fun

image from better homes and gardens.

Family Yearbook Challenge 2009 - Week 16

If you're new to the Family Yearbook Challenge click
HERE & then HERE
Don't forget to leave a comment and check in...I'm keeping track of all the comments posted in the Family YB Challenge for a big giveaway at the end of the year....so go back and check in each of the FYBC posts if you haven't done so.

May is almost over...school is almost out!! We're on a countdown and I CANNOT WAIT! There are so many stories that will be made in the summer months, so be ready for lots of homework...not to mention all of the school memories!! We've hit Week 16 in our Family Yearbook Challenge, which means it's catch up time! Use this week to catch on the past weeks of the Challenge or this will give you the chance to get started!!

Homework May 11-17:

Week 1

Week 2

Week 3

Week 4

Week 5 (Catch up week)

Week 6

Week 7

Week 8

Week 9

Week 10 (Catch up week)

Week 11

Week 12

Week 13

Week 14

Week 15

Family Yearbook/Story Info

Use this next week to catch up any missed events, organization of photos, scanning of memorabilia, etc. But if you have a specific event, story or just a simple little moment take the time to add it in now. Take the time to check spelling, grammar, type it into a Word-type document and save it in the correct files. Refer to the other posts for info about organizing your folders on your computer as well. A clean, neat system that will keep all your "homework" and info stored and easy to get to.

I'm Mother of the Year 2009!

I guess after yesterday's heart-felt post, I got some media attention and have been selected as the Mother of the Year 2009...what an honor. I don't even know what to say....
Click HERE to see this amazing tribute video... {Sniffle...tears of joy}

I'm Just Doin' My Part People...

It's not easy being green....for Kermit and our family of 7. With good intentions, I personally have struggled with the "going green" thing. I want to do good when it comes to the Earth...I REALLY do!! I think of this beautiful place as sacred and a gift. So please don't get me wrong....I really want to make a difference...but it's hard.

I mean, I've bought my reusable grocery bags, but I always forget them. I've removed my name from the phone book distribution list, and I even recycle all of our milk jugs, cans, newspapers...when I remember to get it out to the curb. I can give 38 excuses of why it's hard for me and my family...I've counted. We live an abnormally busy life, and we love it that way. So sometimes going the extra mile of going green gets put on the back burner...and I've had guilt....until yesterday...I had an epiphany!

I had a vision...or at least I thought I did...until I looked in the mirror and realized that no, it was not a vision. It was real.

I stared at myself in the mirror. I cocked my head to one side and then the other, took my hat off...ran my hand over my greasy pony-tailed hat-hair, got a little closer to mirror and realized that I was saving the world! Little ol' me was doing something "green"!

I was dirty.

I was on day 4 of no shower...I had saved gallons and gallons of water in just 4 days. And I've been saving gallons and gallons of water for like...10 years! This whole time I thought I wasn't contributing to the "green movement" and I have been!

I have no time to take showers everyday....I wish I could of course, but showers are a luxury for me right now.

Day 1: Shower. Lookin' good...get out in public, do errands, look people in the eyes...

Day 2: Quick brush of hair, a little make up...maybe pull top of hair back, but otherwise, still looking decent, kids are okay if I go out in public.

Day 3: Ponytail, lots of deodorant, stay in car when I go places...drive-thru's only.

Day 4: Ponytail, HAT, the rest of the deodorant, say in doors.

I know...GENIUS! But I'm just trying to do my part people...you know...

Wordless Wednesday - I Dare You...Giveaway!

Nothin' like a little Playground Dare....right?
How about a little Wordless Wednesday Dare for you?
Would you like to win a published Cherish Bound 5x7 softbound book with up to 24 weeks of your Wordless Wednesday photos published in it???

Of course you would! It'll make a great keepsake for your family and let your little ones or even your hubby have a look into your WW world that they may not otherwise see.... To enter the giveaway here's what you have to do!

Leave a comment and link your Wordless Wednesday in Mr. Linky. For 5 extra entries mention this WW giveaway at your Wordless Wednesday and you're in!

US residence Only. Giveaway starts May 6, 2008 and ends on May 19, 2008 @ 11:59pm. Winner will be announced 5/20 WW!
PLEASE! PLEASE! Leave your email in your comment if you don't have a blog profile.
So enter right now... I DARE YOU!

9-12 Project: Humility

Week 5 - Humility

Highlighting the 12 Values from Glenn Beck's 9-12 Project

Humility...is the opposite of Pride. And in my personal opinion, pride, the lack of humility, is partially to blame for the chaos, uneasiness, and disorder that is weighing on families, communities and even our nation.

To have humility we must stop comparing ourselves to others. It's absolutely impossible to be humble while putting oneself above others.

I was always taught that humility and faith go hand-in-hand. True humility comes from recognizing where our gifts, talents, and attributes come from. It's understanding and accepting that we are dependent on our Savior. Humility is not a characteristic of weakness or vulnerability or even fear. Humility is a sign of strength and character...an acceptance of God and his son, Jesus Christ. To be humble in this world, today, shows courage and strength.

"Pride leads to every other vice.... Pride gets no pleasure out of having something, only out of having more of it than the next man. We say that people are proud of being rich, or clever, or good-looking, but they are not. They are proud of being richer, cleverer, or better-looking than others. If every one else became equally rich, or clever, or good-looking there would be nothing to be proud about. It is the comparison that makes you proud: the pleasure of being above the rest. Once the element of competition has gone, pride has gone"

-C.S. Lewis

Family Yearbook Challenge 2009 - Week 15 - Remembering Mom

If you're new to the Family Yearbook Challenge click HERE & then HERE
Don't forget to leave a comment and check in...I'm keeping track of all the comments posted in the Family YB Challenge for a big giveaway at the end of the year....so go back and check in each of the FYBC posts if you haven't done so.

Homework May 4-10:

Yes, that's me and my mommy...

May is about Mother's. Whether you have one or you are one, Mother's are worth taking the time to write about. So this week's lesson is about YOUR mother, or grandmother, or aunt....the Mother figures in your life that have shaped you and made you the woman you are today. This week, pick at least one of these women to highlight in your family yearbook. Here are some ideas...

• Interview them
• Find out their favorites (quotes, scriptures, stories, people)
  
• Ask them to tell you their favorite stories of motherhood
• Take some pictures of them
• Find some old pictures of them
• Record memories from this past year with them
• What's their favorite recipes
• Tell how they have impacted you
• Ask them to tell you about their "Lessons Learned" and any tips about life they can pass on
  

Now COPY and paste any photos that you have that go with these events and questions into a new folder titled April and create another folder for May. If you'd like to rename the photos you can with May 1, May 2, May 3 and so on and so on. If you have any memorabilia that is NOT digital, scan and save as a jpg. minimum 300 dpi to your May folder, named and labeled. If you have a "story" you can hand write it or "type" it into a document and save in the same folder.

Confessions of an Ex-Scrapbooker #33 - Video #2 Cherish Bound Books!

Video #2 is here! Watch this video to see different types of books, styles, and options with Cherish Bound's growing book options and designs!!