been scrapbooking! oh whatta feeling...!!!

It has been soooooo long, or at least it feel like it.

I've been using the Maychallenge thread on 2 Peas as an inspiration...and been working on dgd's 2012 album.  The first challenge I did was their day 3...take time to try a new technique...well, I've been wanting to try tear bears, and this week got my light pad....so here is my first attempt...ha!!  next time, I'll reduce the pattern.   but gotta figure, cost of light pad, tear tools, mulberry paper, pattern cd...this is an $80 bear!!!
ha!! gotta admit, I've got more respect for the ladies who sell these on Ebay.

So based on their sketch for day 13, I started this one...it was a one page sketch, that I made 2 pages.  This is it unglued...when dgd came over yesterday to do a 'trash the dress' photo session...I asked her, "do I need to add more red and green matts under the pictures?   her answer, "no, pink and purple" .  Of course, she is 4 years old and any color question is answered with 'pink and purple'...then she told me, " pink here, purple here, pink here, purple here...."    I decided, well it's a birtday lo...it can be a li'l colorful and went for it.

 

and here is the finished product.   A really fun birthday layout.   (If you are liking the birthday circle, gotta admit, its not mine, its an Ebay purchase)  

so, dgd and family came over yesterday for dinner.   so she 'helped' me with this lo. I told her "what color should I use with this pic?  Don't say pink".   Of course she said 'pink' ..then I thought of this raspberry pink we picked up at Joann's grand opening.    She decorated the butterfly, it was a gift tag...I gave her some pearly pink paint, stickles and sequins and she went to 'town'.  She also decorated the bottom corner of the multi pic box with pink 'dew drops' (I still love those things!)  Oh, and I can't claim credit for the pics, that was a JC Penney session.

At first she was hesitant about the gooey mess on the butterfly, but I told her, "that is what I keep wipes for" and she went to 'town'.   We also stamped a quick card (don't have a pic).  Her first stamping, a li'l wobbly, but she will learn not to 'rock' the stamp.   

Her mom says she is going to clean up her scrap space, since it looked like dgd was having a good time doing a li'l crafting.   oh, and I guess I just gotta post one of the trash the dress pics....this is after we slipped and slid in the muck to get to the 'back 40'

lesson #2

first of all, thank God for Kristen and Sara, 2 young ladies who are helping us out.  We had 9 kids today.  But the ones who usually sit in service joined us because the pastor was talking about a sensitive subject.

This weekend there was a campout at the church.  So there were tents and tables and games set up in the yard.

After worship, we went outside, and I had the kids sketch out the grill work of cars that were facing the sidewalk.  (I love car grills, just think they are so cool looking and add personality to a car)...anyways, the kids did a good job.

We talked a li'l bit about the 2nd commandment, and how worshipping idols isn't just about bowing down to a statue, but that you can also turn other things into idols...like cars...or baseball.  When I asked the kids for something they could turn into an idol...they all shouted video games...  yup, anything that becomes more important to you than God.

@10:30 we sat in a circle on the lawn, and I presented the kids with their trivia question.  I led with  the cars are also like the church..that each part needs to function...and asked them what are the spiritual gifts in 1 Corinthians 12?  I tried to encourage them that even though they are young...there are still things they can do to help out in the church.  I gave them a couple of the gifts and asked them to write down 3 more, but  noone knew them...we did have some guesses, so I let the girls (K & S) decide if the one was close enough...they said yes, so a prize (candy) was awarded.

I gave them a 'hint' about next week's trivia...so I'd better get more candy!!

Then....we found out that the sermon was going a little long....and Janell told us we could play with the bean bag game set up.  Most of the boys did that, the girls sat  on the lawn.   Kristen really took charge of the girls; Sara, the boys playing with the bean bag toss.  And I kept an eye on the other 2.   They were getting 'antsy' and wanted to play the air hockey (they had also been a part of the campout, and did not understand why I did not give them full access to the stuff, one even asked to go to his tent..I said, no) ...I told them that it wasn't my game and I did not have the okay....(lucky) for me, the wind kicked up and blew over some of the bbq equipment that was behind the meeting tent.  I asked one of the boys to help pick up the bbq's and stuff...and he did!   I ended up giving him one of the candy bars because he exhibited the 'gift of service'.   ha!!


So, next week, we won't be outside...let's see how that goes!!

I LOVE May!!

May is by far my favorite month.  I get Mother's Day followed by my birthday...usually just about a week apart...so I get thoroughly spoiled during the month of May.

this year, Mother's Day was the 12th...my Bday on the following Sunday the 19th.

Mother's Day, dh cooked one of my fave dinners...salmon, grilled steak, angel hair pasta and asparagus.
My mil  was still here, so it was for the all the gals.   Very nice.

Then the in laws left for the 'wilds of Oregon'...to be honest, central valley California is just not good for my fil's health.   Better for them to be up north, esp for the summer.

My Birthday started with my dsil (son in law) making me a breakfast smoothie, church, lunch of mac & cheese and tuna sandwiches (don't laugh, when you've been on Jennys as long as I have...mac and cheese and tuna are manna)...and for dinner dsil made me jambalaya and ddil brought me one of her Hoosier pies.

Then the kids took off for ddil's birthday...which meant I got to hang out with dgd for 2 days...including a sleepover.  I won't detail that, cuz as I told dgd as I left, "don't forget, what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas"...ha!!! (loved seeing her parents' faces over that)  Let's just say, that she did not go to Tae Kwon Do class Monday night  or school the next morning...and there was popcorn mixed with m&m's involved.  

And though I've been to work Weds and Thurs, honestly it still feels like my birthday week!! ha!!

Today, ds is taking me out to lunch and to see Star Trek...

and Tomorrow morning, dd and dsil leave for a 3 day trip to Colorado...so dh and I have the place all to ourselves.  I'm thinking pj's and scrapbooking for the weekend.

AND for my birthday, dh told me to get a few things off my Amazon wish list.  On its way is a cricut cart...and I've rec'd  an artbin Lighttracer.  I've been buying a few paper piecings on Ebay lately...so I hope to figure out how to make some of my own.  A while ago, I bought a dvd of patterns to make tear bears and such...so maybe I'll play over the weekend.

AND the Joann's near my work had their grand opening celebration.  When dgd and I went to work to go to lunch with dd and Francine, we stopped by...spent $40 on stuff that was 40 to 50% off.  So, I have those new supplies to play with too.   Dgd picked out quite a few stickers and paper also.  I had to tell her, 'we can't go down the (sticker) aisle anymore, you go crazy".   So, gotta think of good 'projects' for her to do, to use them!!

So, what can I say...I LOVE May!!!!

(note, I think I used all the family abreviations in this post...ha!!)

'inventing the wheel'.

Well, I've taken a pretty scary step.

Today was the start of a 12 week sunday school 'class' I am doing (with the help of my dd, ddil, and dear friend Janell)....but there is no curriculum...and so we are 'inventing the wheel'.

I've been helping out in the children's church.  And when I helped up in the upper grades, 3rd thru 6th grade, I could not help but notice that the older children simply were not engaged.  Not 'into' the music, the video lessons, the crafts.

So, I started thinking ... dangerous, I know.

When I homeschooled my kids @this age...we did art journals.  And sometimes the drawing of an object could lead to some pretty good discussions.

soooo....we started a sketch journal oriented class...in the hopes that it would engage the kids a bit more and  prepare them for the jr high/ high school group.  We are treating it more like a Bible study discussion group than a Sunday school lesson.

and we are learning right along with them.

So, last week was our 'launch'.   We made a mother's day craft...kinda like this one, only smaller...

we asked them if they knew the 10 Commandments (as our trivia challenge) with the child who knew the most receiving a Baskin Robbins gift card....and then spent the rest of the time getting to know them, asking them questions about the things they like.  Candy was big on that list - ha!


Today, we joined the adult worship, had our own table and then went outside.  It was cool, our youth Pastor talked about worship and how God can be like a child who just wants you to pause and look at 'what He made'...but how we can get so wrapped up in our lives...our response is.."yeah, yeah"

It tied so perfectly to my first lesson...I wanted them to look at the ordinary in a different way.  So, I told them like Pastor Dusty said, let's try to look at things in a different way, instead of feeling 'yeah, yeah' .

So we set up sheets under a tree...and instead of pointing at the tree and telling them 'draw it'...I had them get underneath to get a different view of the tree...what do YOU see?  do you see a pattern of branches, the symmatry of leaves, the light coming thru the leaves, texture of the bark?  then take a few moments to sketch that.

The kids were hesitant, "I feel a rock" and other complaints......but they did get into it.   Now, only a couple of kids drew branches...tree like images...but that is okay...I told them it is their 'art' and they can draw any way they want.  (I will save their drawings and in August we will use my cinch to make books for them to take home)

While drawing we talked about how trees also reflect seasons and how they are in the 'spring' of their lives...so many possibilities...and how the little choices they make daily will help define who they are in their teen and adult years.  and their relationships they are developing with their parents...gave them the example of how I used to tell my kids at that age, "if you make it a habit to lie to me now, how am I going to believe you when you are a teen and want to borrow the car"....  We talked a li'l about how they are probably going to be in the position to make a choice about whether or not to have a facebook page.   And my 'trouble' with that, that at this age, they would have to lie to start one.  But that I am not out to judge their decision...but to remind them that they have their own relationship with God...and need to listen to the Holy Spirit about this type of choice.  Janell asked the great question, "How do you know the Holy Spirit is talking to you"...so we talked about that inner voice.

We also went over the 1st Commandment...I told them that we will review the commandments and at the end of the 12 week period,  I hope they make me poor buying all of them BR gift cards.  (I better start saving).   I have a secret hope for August, but I won't reveal it.  ha!!!!   I also found a corresponding NT verse talking about there being only one God.  Cuz we often hear the argument that the 10 Commandments are just so 'old testament' and not applicable today.

Then we had our new 'trivia challenge'...I asked them to write down the Golden Rule.  No one knew it, but one child came close with "Love your neighbor as yourself"...so he was able to choose a candy bar from my collection.

Overall, it seemed to go well, we were very relaxed...2 of the boys stayed and helped me clean up...the wind was blowing and the sheets were difficult to manage...THEN...they carried my 2 bags full of supplies into the church for me...YES, 2 California boys acting like Texas boys and being gentlemanly....ha!!


I told them to bring their beach towels next week, we'll be outside again.