In the Storm

52lists | week 16

I think over the years I've had pretty much the same 'most favorite' reads with a few subtractions, replaced by something new, and a few additions, not necessarily replacing but adding to my 'most favorite reads'. When Moorea-Seal sent out the 52 Lists for my favorite reads I took some time to carefully select those books that are in fact favorites. I have to admit that some of them surprised me. When I assessed why I enjoyed something, and why I kept some of the books on my favorites list and why I was removing some of them.

My reading tastes have changed only slightly over the years, and I've really come to realize the types of books I fully enjoy: strong women, military connected, police dramas, smart- aleckness, humor, playfulness, and the occassional Christian-based theme.

Then, there are those books that I've enjoyed reading aloud to the boys. Some of them have become my favorites too.

While I've enjoyed many books, I've truly paired down my list to a few. When you consider the series it isn't really a few, though. And because I read and reread them (at least twice a year andthere are 35 in the series), I can probably say, except for the Bible, that J.D. Robb's In Death series is probably my favorite - really. Sure, some are better than others, and I do have my favorites of the series, they just simply fulfill the need to I have to laugh - more so than many other books.

project life | week 16

So lovin' Project Life. Can you imagine? At the end of the year I'll have scrapped 52 2-page spreads of our life. A solid record of everything we did through the year. But, then also I'm including my 12 of 12 pages (12 photos on the 12th of each month), and my Day in the Life pages.

This week I'm a little late posting (last week's project life) because of some back issues. I've really been down for the count and just needed to stay away from the computer. I even had to schedule another appointment ahead of one I already have scheduled. Thankfully, my chiropractor worked on my back for awhile and I'm feelin' much better.

What I love about this page: 1) My title block!!! Yep, can you believe it? I actually like how my title turned out for a change. 2) The colors. Love that I went back to my 'ole standby of turquoise - as it is my signature color. 3) The two journal blocks I made (these photos, and the washi tape journal block). The title and the other journal 'for the record' is the Seafoam Edition of Project Life. 4) I love the titles on the photos. Even though I do this often I still love it.

What I love about this page: 1) Changing up the digital template, 2) The top day of the week journal block I made, along with the washi tape one. I used the same one as the left side but just turned it on it's side.

What I don't like: My photos are horrible! We've been without my big Canon for awhile and I think our little Canon Power Shot is going bonkers too. I've lost the LCD screen on a couple of the shooting modes, and photos are taking blurrier and blurrier.

All in all it was a good week. But, weekends are usually where we get most of the story. Between Boy Scouts, serving, working hard, etc. everyone fills the weekend to exhaustion. But a really good exhaustion.

 

Project Life is a solution-based approach to scrapbooking that was created to simplify the process in order to allow you more time to enjoy life! It requires no glue, no scissors, no tools, and no skills of any kind

 

52gratitudes | 17

Just piggy-backing my earlier post today with a gratitude for Water.

water.

pinterest link

water.

I've pretty much avoided it for along time. Yeah, I've gone through very short spurts where I drank some water but always had a soda or two throughout the day. It really isn't that I dislike water. I actually like it. But, I liked soda more. And, ok, I'll be honest here I still drink coffee in the morning - now.

A couple weeks ago - yep! - weeks - I started feeling dehydrated when the temperature soared into the lower 80's and it was super muggy and sticky. I know I am getting dehydrated because the female side of things begin to burn. So, I immediately began drinking water. I prefer water over the burning, not necessarily dehydration. But, then, something happened.

I drank water that whole day in order to combat the dehydration. And then, I drank water the next day so I wouldn't get dehydrated. I've been guzzling water every since. We have gone out to dinner a couple times and I haven't even ordered a soda. The other night Jeff and I had to drop the van off at our car care place in the evening, for them to begin work the next morning and we stopped at Dairy Queen for an ice cream cone and we got a soda to share.

One sip is all I took - Yuk!

Now, I am not to sure what is going on this whole water drinking. Some of the 'negative' side effects of lots of water drinking is the amount of visits to the bathroom. For someone who already was visiting the bathroom an exhorbant amount of times (those old age, after twins, and other issues), now having to almost double the amount of time is somewhat disconcerting.

But, I'm dealin' with it. I'd rather drink the water.

I'm combating dehydration. It's better for me. Maybe, I'll jumpstart some weight loss. This weekend a couple ladies and I are going to be starting the Made to Crave bible study. While it isn't a true weight loss study there are aspects of it built in - so I'm to understand.

Kinda' excited to see where this drinking water will take me.

favorite blogs

Project Life, hopefully, will be up tomorrow.

Now, onto a List.

A list of favorite blogs.

I have, in the past made such a list. I've found I've visiting a few more sites for inspiration, for laughter, for awe, for just-plain-'ole-fun.

1. Ali Edwards. Absolutely my #1 go to blog. Ali has been in the scrapbooking world for quite a few years. I don't always like her style because sometimes she can get to 'artsy' for me but I ALWAYS am inspired! And that is why her blog is my number one favorite blog. She INSPIRES!

2. Elise Blaha Cripe. I gotta' say that while Ali's blog lies dear in my heart sometimes Ali goes through periods where she doesn't post anything for days. But Elise posts 5-6 days a week - which I love. And Elise's blog is chalk-full (what does that mean anyways) of INSPIRATION. It was probably Elise who inspired me the most to begin Project Life. And my 40 Recipes and 40 Recipes in a Bowl were inspired by her. Her all-around creative side has pushed me to purchase the yarn and crochet needles I'll need for attempting to crochet.

3. Cathy Zielske. Cathy is my kinda' scrapbooker. Clean and Simple. Cathy is funny, and seriously the quintessential clean and simple scrapbooker around. Her online classes have been amazingly wonderful, fun, and inspiring. At some point, fairly recently I figured out my scrapbooking style. I wondered why I enjoyed digital scrapbooking so much and why I also headed back to Cathy's pages, and her two books on my shelf, because her style is my style. I don't have many of her gifts of putting pages together but the clean and simple is definitely my style.

4. Lee Currie. I want to be Lee's friend. I adore her blog. I love her successes and want to cheer her on through her failures. She is so real to me. I feel a kindred spirit with her (we are close in age too) even if she doesn't know me from Adam. And INSPIRING! Oh man! I love photography skills, her writing skills, her digital gifts, and admire her. Sure, I don't agree with everything but I get full-on inspiration from her blog.

5. A Beautiful Mess. While Elsie's style is too much of a 'mess' for me, I keep returning to her blog everyday for her creative endeavors and fun time blog. She's such a young thing to be so successful and it's been fun to watch. While I love the whole clean and simple in scrapbooking I have found I also don't want matchy-matchy in my home and Elsie's blog has inspired me to think outside the normal box for a home. Consider vintage, consider meaningful. Keep what's meaningful.

6. The Pioneer Woman. Admittedly, I don't visit her blog very much anymore. It has become less - in many ways. But, I love the homeschooling section when Heather writes. She is amazingly, homeschooling inspiring! I still occassionally visit PW's recipes, but she just doesn't make me laugh as much as she used to. Too much of her world seems unreal anymore. So why is it still a favorite blog - the homeschooling section!

7. Karen Russell. Aka, one of the most hilariously funny, wise, growing in Christ women, with an insane skill for taking awe-inspiring photographs...love her blog. Hate it when she doesn't post for awhile. She makes me laugh. She makes me cry. She seems real (as real as one can get on a blog) because she tells the good and bad. And her photos - oh don't get me started.

I would have liked to listed more favorites but in all seriousness I don't visit anywhere near as many blogs as I know some folks do. I wouldn't mind finding more favorites - for the inspiration, for the laughter, for the creativity. I do seek them out but I'm hard to please. The blog has to work for me as well as what the blogger writes. I visit a few more here and there, those for Project Life inspiration, some for their craftiness, some for their words, some because I've hit on a project that I'm joining them in on and I'll occassionaly visit them for more than...but, to be honest I just don't have the time.

...and so begins a list of favorites. 

52lists | week 15

I've heard of many people who have pages and pages of favorite quotes. I realized in putting a list of favorites together that many of my most favorite quotes, though not listed here, come straight out of the Word of God. I'm not a fan of crude and rude quotes but more so those that are uplifting, words to live by. Many are how and what I believe down to the core of my being.

And it truly is a day wasted if I haven't laughed. Even in the most sorrowful of times, such as when my dad passed away - I laughed. My family and I laughed, sharing those funny stories about Dad. And even if I'm in a fog, or a mood of discontent, or frustration invariably one of my sons does something that will make me laugh.

And many are gentle reminders.

I've seen, recently, a photographer/scrapbooker is putting together her favorite quotes, decoratively, in a scrapbook. In so many ways, ones favorite quotes say alot about a person. I think a scrapbook would be a really good idea.

 

Join me and Moorea-Seal and her 52 Lists Project.

this week...

this week...

I will finish creating my Meteorology class' LAB Final Exam. I'm already half-way done.

I will finish reading White Fang to the boys and begin a new book.

I will finish putting together the LAB Book for next year's Meteorology class. I am re-writing LAB #1 and putting some finishing touches on a couple other then I will be done. We (my homeschool co-op) are going to bind the LABs into a book for a more professional, finish book. I can't wait to see the final product.

I will write an updated blog post to my Around the World in 180 Days post.

I will clear my scrap table with everything in its place.

I will swim twice!!!!

I will complete a couple more pages to my coffee table book.

I will catch up my Clean and Simple assignments.

I will celebrate my daughter's birthday - long distance.

I will walk three days.

I will continue drinking water everyday.

This week is shaping up to be a busy week.

52gratitudes | 16

Let me share something really cool.

This past weekend Jeff and the boys picked up another side mowing job (they were driving by and saw one of our neighbors (who they already mow lawns for) and our neighbor was talking to her friend who had been considering hiring Jeff and the boys to mow. After some conversation, and some price quoting, Jeff went home to get the mower, edger, and backpack blower to mow their front lawn. Just $20.

But, they were coming home from another side job of laying some sod (actually to help a small group friend out who had pulled his back out) and ended up getting paid $100. So the boys came home with $120 dollars after running a 5K Race for the Cure in Savannah, and then participating in Highway Cleanup for their Boy Scout Troop.

Good day.

When Jeff exchanged the larger bills for smaller bill so the boys could divide it up for their 'bills' a really cool thing happened. Through this yard mowing business the boys have learned to tithe first, save second, then pay the bills third. Some of their bills are maintenance fees, their workers' (Jeff) pay, and a debt to pay off (a portion of their mission trip last year and last years boy scout camp expenses).

Jeff gave them a minimum payment they had to pay each mowing job but then let them finish out how they saw fit. Before this sod laying job they were down to double digits on their debt. They tithed, saved, paid their worker and the maintenance fees and then...

They paid in full their debt.

This has been such a great learning experience for them. They have grown tremendously from those first yards mowed to now. From that first time monies was divided up and they had spending money. From that first time paying into their debt. And then they took the whole chunk of sod laying money and paid their debt in full.

project life | week 15

15 Weeks. Wow! I am so excited about this project. I am crazy excited how many weeks I have completed, documenting our everyday life. This weeks pages are all about pink and black. I'm not a huge fan of pink but Jeff and the boys ran in the Susan B. Komen Race for the Cure - Savannah 5K this past weekend (while I was at work) and so I thought pink would be a fitting color for the week. Plus, on our date night we walked Forsythe Park and the blossoms were bloomin' pink everywhere.

For these pages a used Project Life Template B and a two of Cathy Z's mini templates which I absolutely love for getting more photos on the page while still keeping the page clean and simple. I used some miscellaneous Miss Tina freebies and of course Project Life Midnight for the black.

When I was putting the page together I did the right side first (unusual for me) but I love how it turned out. And the pink and black works. And so, another week is done.

 

Project Life is a solution-based approach to scrapbooking that was created to simplify the process in order to allow you more time to enjoy life! It requires no glue, no scissors, no tools, and no skills of any kind

52lists | week 14

When I was a kid I wrote short stories, usually about high school kids and football players and cheerleaders, and love, battling back from pain to success, with gripping stories and shed tears. They were childish short stories from a niave girl.

And I wrote poems that I thought were publish-worthy but were - are - horribly plain and void of gift. But, oh, I wanted the gift! I still do, in some ways, want the abilities to speak my heart through words.

And then I wanted to be a cop. More specifically, a Florida Highway Patrol Officer. I glamorized the job and only saw it superficially through the eyes of CHiPs. But, it led me to college majoring in Criminal Justice.

Now, my dream job would be to run a weather station. But, also be a lead weather forecaster, man the Doppler radar, and brief pilots in station and via PMSV. My real-life job in the military, towards the end of my career had me doing just that but after retirement many different roads have been taken. Maybe one day the road will lead back to weather.

I can only dream.

For now I'm content being a homeschool mom. A homeschool co-op high school Meteorology teacher, a blogger (not-for-pay), a celebrity chef of my own home, and a Bible study teacher in my church.