In the Storm

i have been away this weekend.

i have been away to the walk to emmaus. i have no pictures. just a heart full of memories of an amazing, life-changing, three and a half day, day and night walk, with Jesus.

the love of Jesus continued when I came home to a bedroom painted - by my hoosier man.

and my van side door fixed.

and my sons having served the homeless downtown

and my sons having had a day and a blast sea kayaking

and a week ahead of much to accomplish:

homeschool my boys, walk every day, catch up move more eat well (april's assignment and may's assignment), write 4 chapters of study guides for next years atmospheric science class, and begin the LAB book, go grocery shopping, go swimming at least once this week, bible study, complete my week in the life digital compilations from this past week (mon-sun) (lots of stories this weekend and not alot of photos), wash clothes, prepare meals - and have fun and love.

(photo taken by jim knauff)

week in the life l tuesday

week in the life l monday

i'm very pleased with how this week in the life is shaping up. today i uploaded all the photos from monday and tuesday and i was able to complete monday's pages. i believe i'll have enough photos each day for a 3-page spread. i will be gone to Walk to Emmaus this entire weekend so Jeff will be responsible for photos. in the mean time I want to have monday through wednesday completed before i leave then i'll catch up on monday of next week when i return.

all digital templates are by ali edwards from designer digitals. the templates are a mix of last years week in the life and this years week in the life, plus an extra.

5 by 5...again

5 scrapbooking tools or supplies on my want list:

1. A Fiskars Trimmer. I watched a tutorial the other day done by Jennifer of Jennifer McGuire Ink and she used this trimmer during the tutorial. The trimmer seemed to cut so smoothly and effortlessly.

2. I really want a Silhouette Cameo. So many things i'd like to do with this. Especially for scrapbooking.

3. American Crafts has these great precision pens. i've used them up and need more.

4. a Wacom tablet. To use with digital scrapbooking.

5. Washi Tape. This is just one color of Washi Tape that I want. Really i'd like rolls and rolls of a variety.

5 things i'd like to have done around my house

1. wood flooring in the living room, hall, and my bedroom

2. a large front porch (about a 12x8) with wider steps up

3. a large deck out back; a firepit for cool nights; trail laid out to the marsh

4. redo master bath: pull tub and replace with large shower with large shower head or waterfall; replace mirror and cabanetry

5. french doors from dining room to deck and french doors from master bedroom to deck

5 really cool inspiring things on pinterest that i've seen lately

1. this globe. it would be really cool with matthew 28:19-20 handdrawn/painted on.

2. elise is the wife a navy guy who was recently deployed. elise is amazingly talented and has this really cool blog that i visit every day. while her hubby was deployed she sent alot of cards to him. she decided to frame some of them as a piece of art in their apartment. a very way cool idea. it really reminded me of all the letters i one time sent to jeff way back when he deployed to somalia - he still has them!

3. a sharpie on a burlap lampshade. very cool idea. would love to write the words to a favorite song or a bible verse

4. 6x12 ali edwards templates for an album full of a photo plus story. so very doable. ali's templates can even accomodate multiple photos with less journalling. in one of her newsletters this year she mentioned 1 photo + 5 stories. how there are probably any number of photos that can tell multiple stories (from different perspectives). i think that is a very inspiring objective. and i really want to do it.

5. diy barn door between master bedroom and bath. i would love this in our bedroom in red or white. maybe red for a bolder statement but my red chair is probably enough red in the room. white would look awesome against the gray walls (that i haven't painted yet)

5 places i'd like to visit

1. nova scotia

2. the Bahamas with hoosier man (and maybe the boys) on a cruise of course

3. alaska to visit my daughter and granddaughter of course

4. washington d.c.

5. the grand canyon

pretty interesting that most of my choices are really very doable; and they are here in the u.s.

5 color combinations i love right now

1. pinterest. love the pale tones of the greys and peach

2. design seeds. a piece of artwork in these colors would be awesome.

3. master bathroom colors. yes!

4. stil love these colors together

5. and these colors

today

1. i shopped for ashley's birthday gift and mailed it off. i cannot tell a lie (the three things i got Ashley for her birthday...i got for me too!)

2. the boys had Sea Kayaking training - they're pooped. it was in preparation for their Sea Kayaking trip next weekend.

3. made this digital scrapbook layout:

i like making pages well after-the-fact because it invokes such great memories.

4. i washed, dried, and folded 4 loads of clothes (and still have sheets to do)

5. i am going to church. we are in a great family sermon series.

6. bought a new outfit (a skirt no less); the walking i've done the last couple of months took just enough off my hips that i was pleased (ok) with how the whole outfit came together. it's spring/summery, and has lots of turquoise. my signature color (what movie is that line from?)

7. i signed up for ali edwards', 31 Things class at big picture scrapbooking. very excited about the class. while i was shopping for the album i'll need for the class i came across the PERFECT album's for the kid's recipe album. it is a 12x12 album in pretty much whatever color they want (saw a red one that ash will probably want and a yummy wine color for elizabeth). the document protectors are 12x12 but divided into 6 - 4x6 slots - perfect for 6 recipes in front and 6 in back. This album will hold a bunch of recipes. oh - i just can't wait.

8. wrote the 2nd half of the study guide for Chapter 15 (our last chapter) for my Atmospheric Science class. can't wait for the end of co-op (just the break); i'll be writing the LAB manual over the summer, finishing up all the study guides, tests, and review (games).

9. i am hoping to finish up tonight, when we get home from church and dinner, my move more eat well april class assignment, albeit late. my plan is to go ahead and weigh and tape on may 1 to get back on track with the program.

10. bible study.

i need

i need these reminders...

via pinterest

via pinterest

via pinterest

via pinterest

i have had a horrible month this month with moving more. i need to get back on track. these posters are very motivational but i need something more - accountable. i'm not sure what has me in a ruck from moving more. it's been 3.5 months and i've only lost 17 pounds total. that could be it - especially when i hear stories like 20, 30, and 40 pounds in the same amount of time.

i know my moving more needs to increase in distance and time.

40 recipes l 17

oh my - so good! we still had two boston butts left from the boy scouts last boston butt fundraiser and i'd planned on trying Pioneer Woman's Spicy Pork Sandwiches that she made some time ago. it has been on my 'i want to try that but i'm scared list' - just look at the ingredients - a can of chipotle peppers in adobe sauce!!! and dr. pepper. wow! what a combination they turned out to be. amazing! this would be a great pot luck dish or put on for a crowd or small group gathering.

i made some really good cole slaw to serve with the sandwiches. i loved eating these with mini king hawaiian sweet rolls too! some garlic toast for the sandwiches would be great too.

...another recipe for my kids recipe book too.

date night

my plan is to create an entire 2012 scrapbook - not sure what size yet - of our date nights. at the beginning of the year i got purposeful about scheduling date nights with hoosier man. we've hit everyone and even added one or two more off the cuff. we go on dates now about twice a month. we love it and so do the boys. if we were to forget (not that we have so far, but if...) the boys would be right there reminding us. they love it when we go on dates so they can stay home and eat what they want (usually pizza, or raman, or leftovers) and watch a series of television shows on dvd or watch movies. it's not so fun for them if they are grounded from television but they've made do by playing legos, or drawing elaborate battle scenes.

this night we ate at Applebees (we rarely eat there) and then went to see the Hunger Games. good movie, but the book was better.

digital process: my digital process was pretty simple. i knew i wanted to include the hunger games marque photo along with our picture that hoosier man took of us in the theatre. i found a template that would accomodate two photos, 12x12 size, and went to town. i found some digital movie elements in my stash that i thought would work well with the theme. i kept it monochromatic because i really think i'm in my zone now with what i like - clean and simple with very few elements.

speaking of clean and simple and digital scrapbooking; i've been considering going through my very large stash and purging most everything. keeping cardstock (digital), some elements here and there, and a small, select stash of patterned paper. after putting this page together i found how much i enjoyed the process with clean and simple. well see.

a week in the life l 2012

next week. monday. begins week in the life; this is a project that ali edwards has made come alive for so many. i have done one other complete week in the life back in march 2011 on my own. next week isn't the greatest week for a week in the life but i'm going to tackle it anyway. i will be gone for several of the days on a spiritual retreat, away from hoosier man and the georgia boys so i'm hoping hoosier man will pull photo duty for me, and journal what has happened while i'm gone.

my approach for the week: i am considering one of two template packs for this project. both are by ali edwards @ designer digitals where she exclusively creates digital projects. love all of her work.

this is ali's 2012 week in the life album template pack. i love the large photo on one side but i'm not as thrilled with the other side offerings.

i love everything about her 2011 templates for week in the life album but i really like 2012's large photo better. what i might do is combine the two: use the large photo from her 2012 templates and the templates for the other side of the page from her 2011 template pack.

i'm hoping to take enough photos and have enough individual stories to tell to use this template for those individual stories worthy of more journal; also by ali as an insert page.

i won't do a separate album but probably a title page; that, and the remaining pages will be inserted into another album. i'm considering one album for all my week in the life pages; just like i have one album for my december daily pages; whenever i complete a week i'll just insert another 7-days worth of pages.

i'm looking forward to next week, taking photos and journaling our week. you'll note i've got ali's newest badge for this week in the life on my side bar to the left. it will direct you to her website and the basics behind a week in the life

can't wait!

12 of 12

another month of 12 photographs on the twelth. This time for April. just now getting around to creating a page (which i'll upload sometime to persnickity prints and have printed in 12x12.

today. the boys had/have sports type physicals/immunizations today. they have a boy scout sea kayak the next two weekends (training + trip); then they have a boy scout camp over the summer which requires an annual physical. they will both go whitewater rafting which is considered an high adventure activity too.

small homeschool today: reading, human anatomy, spanish, and writing. they have already completed human anatomy, and spanish.

the boys have boy scouts this evening. they are inducting a fellow scout into Eagle ranks so they'll need to be in Class A's

i am making a new recipe: PW's Spicy Dr Pepper Pork Sandwiches. I think this will be new recipe 17 of 40 for the year. long way to go.