One day into the new month and I completed my February pages of Project Life 2016 where I document an entire month in, at least, 2-pages. This month, because I didn't have many photos, I left my February pages to just two filled-to-the-brim pages of tons of journaling, because while I didn't have many photos, it was an event-filled month.
In the world of digital scrapbooking, this month was a gold mine as I learned a new-to-me technique that has just sling-shot my excitement and love for digital. I learned in Photoshop Elements how to re-color products, like journal cards.
In the lower left, the No. 1 journal card from an Ali Edwards Story kit was originally a deep blue with white No. 1's. I was able to magically, using the magic wand in Photoshop Elements, change the color to a deep plum to better coordinate with my pages.
February 2016: I purchased four tiny cuff bracelets in Chrome, Brass, Copper, and Silver, with the names Ella Grace, Ian Seth, Wyatt Anthony, and Noah James, my four grandchildren. They are my ONE. (ONE is a campaign our church has been involved in for several years. Every person picks, ONE person to pray for, lead into, the kingdom of God.
Jarrod, John and I are studying Beth Moore's The Beloved Disciple. Each Monday afternoon (sometimes Tuesday), we gather at the dining room table and discuss the previous weeks daily homework and then watch the video before the new week's lessons. It's my one solitary measure of valued influence left in this homeschool endeavor. I'm not wasting it!
Living on the outskirts of the online community of She Reads Truth for women, this month I purchased the study book from She Reads Truth - for Lent and have been following along with the online community, but, more importantly, I have been committing myself to a personal study during this season of Lent that leads us into the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. I'm filling pages of the study book, enjoy the online community and the authors of the site.
Downton Abbey has been our go-to television watching this month. Jeff and I began watching the first episodes at Ashley's in January when we visited her and Brad and the boys. It's all Ashley's fault! She got us hooked. We made it through season 3 and began season 4 before the month of February drew quickly to a close. We have little time to watch television but usually can grab an hour or two a week, together.
I shared in this then and now post about my purging and organizing my sock and bra drawer and my undies drawer which I had to include into Project Life, as this is life. I didn't note it but I plowed through my shoes, purged and organized them. I'm still on the lookout for a way to cleverly store them in my limited closet space.
Another cleaning out and organizing project I didn't document which, now that I think about it is epic, that I may make an insert, is Jeff spent about three hours one Saturday, while taking a break from his online safety course studies, to defrost our standing freezer in preparation for our 'beef' purchase. It's beautiful! Seriously, you should have seen the neglect and I would image the efficiency of the freezer has improved two-fold.
Jeff, the boys and I, the last weekend in February, joined the rest of the congregation in writing the entire New Testament and probably even much of the Old Testament, on the walls and floors of the new worship center being built for Savannah-Compassion Christian Church (currently it is Savannah Christian Church but will change it's name in August to Compassion Christian Church). I wrote Micah 6:8 my life verse, and yes, an Old Testament scripture, cause I'm a rebel like that; Jeff wrote Genesis 1:1 because well, in the beginning...and the boys each wrote out their life verses. When we walked into the partially built worship center, it's immensity held us transfixed, but we cast our eyes to the pulpit platform where, buried deep into the cement is Jeff's deployment Bible when he was in the military. He'd given the Bible to our pastor to have buried so Cam would always preach from the pulpit standing on the Word of God. How cool is that!
It's crazy, I know. But, I read 5 new books this month: The Rebel Queen, The Girl on the Train, Brotherhood in Death, The Kill Artist, and God is Able. Except for The Girl on the Train, all were good reads. I made a huge dent into my 52 New Books in 2016 project. Currently, I am reading The Revenant by Michael Punke; such an unusual genre for my usual tastes but underlying the main goal of reading 52 New Books, was the silent pressing of broadening my horizons in the world of books.
We purchased a punching bag for John. We wanted to support him. Enough said. Except to say, 'the best is yet to come.'
In the beginning of February Jeff and the boys attended a weekend Boy Scout campout for Order of the Arrow. It was Jeff's induction into Brotherhood, along with the boys will mean they are lifelong scouts as a minimum. These people, who remain faithful in the scouting community, the campouts, who serve others, who work hard, these are Jeff's kind of people. Besides Jeff and the boys, there is only one other scout from their troop who, although many have been selected for Order of the Arrow, has continued on and earned Brotherhood. I am so proud of all three of them. And...while the were camping out I was south, in Florida visiting my sister, Sandy. We spent the day antiquing. With zero intention of purchasing anything, instead, I came home with an antique dark teal Queen Anne chair, gorgeous and perfect for my living room decor, another large, bulky, neglected utensil crock that almost matches the crock Joan brought with her from Indiana that I snatched up for the kitchen, and an identical, 1950's - 1960's pie safe to the one from Joan also. Scored big time!
In other February news: I only swam twice in February, an 1100 yard and a 1200 yard swim. But, good news, the indoor pool on Hunter Army Airfield will be opened an extra day or two that I will be able to swim. Jeff and the boys helped another Boy scout with his Eagle project. Jeff also spent quite a bit of time studying for his online, 30-hour construction safety course. All of us have gotten new somethings this month, new dress shoes, running shoes for John and Jarrod, shoes and sandals and outfits for me, and a couple work pants for Jeff.
February was filled to the brim, albeit short.