Project Life - Weeks 7 & 8

I felt the pressure to get caught up on Project Life (even though technically I am not that far behind). But I know how easy it is to fall off track with a new project that you are so excited about. You go full steam ahead and do too much and can't keep up with it. I think I am going at a pace I can sustain but only if I don't fall behind.

So here are my layouts from the last 2 weeks. There were so many great vacation pictures that I did an additional full page instead of a smaller insert.

Week 7 Parts 1 & 2

 



  Week 8
 

Back from Vacation

Back from an amazing vacation, sorting through hundreds of photos and trying to ease back into our (somewhat) summer routine.

Can't wait to share my Project Life from our week at the lake!

Project LIfe - Week 6

It has been a crazy week getting ready to go on vacation. But I did want to make sure I posted this before I go. I anticipate a lot of pictures to sort through when I get back and probably an insert to accommodate all of the pictures in my Project Life book.

PS The last 2 weeks my Project Life photos haven't turned out how I would like. Will reshoot both of them when I get home!

Time to Unplug

Three more sleeps until we leave on holidays and only one more sleep until I am officially on vacation. Excited does not quite describe the vibe in our house right now. We are going back to the same cottage as last year and let me tell you, it was good. Last year we were excited to get away and the anticipation of the unknown was there too.

This year is different, we know where we are going, what to expect and are anxiously looking forward to the good times and relaxation again. I left my blackberry at home last year, it was hard at first to be disconnected but now that I know how wonderful it is there is no hesitation this time.

The big challenge this year is from the boys. They are now proud owners of iPads and iPods and we have told them that the devices are staying home. Needless to say, this news didn't go over very well. "What are we going to DO?" "It is going to be SO boring!"

These sentiments make me regret getting the darn things for them. There was none of this on our first trip and I assure you there was lots to do and not a moment of boredom. I am hoping that once we are there they will embrace the cottage life, read, swim, have fun and connect.

Project Life - Week 5

I can't believe that 5 weeks has gone by. I know time is going fast but when you are documenting your days and weeks it really hits home.

We had a great week, summer vacation is in full swing and the boys are in their element.

Right Now Challenge - Week 3

Please go to One Happy Mama's blog to read more about the  Right Now Challenge.

• Grayden asked me what number has a 4 and a 0 with a 1 in the middle. Four hundred ten!
• As he was getting strawberries from the fridge Grayden informed us that we have Fred the caterpillar who lives in our fridge. He always takes bites out of our strawberries.
• Connor brought home his grade 5 indoor shoes from school. I don't think he even wore them, they look brand new. Now they are too small for him - they fit me perfectly. Yay for new shoes for me and boo hoo my oldest has feet that are bigger than mine.
• Our neighbour asked Grayden how his day was and he replied, "Good as pie." I guess pie IS good.
• Darien gives me goose bumps when he says, "Hey mom, watch this!" The things that child gets up to boggles my mind and scares me.
• Swimming in the river on Canada Day, hot weather, sunscreen, laughs and giggles.

A Backyard Drive-In

 

We have started our summer fun off with a bang. I borrowed a projector from work to set-up a backyard movie night for us and the boys. I kept it secret for as long as I could but Connor figured it out after I took him to the third store looking for a giant white sheet (that didn't cost $80!).

 

Thanks to the trusty thrift store, I found what I was looking for. On a side note, I sewed pockets on the bottom of the sheet to hold rocks that weigh the sheet down and I sewed fabric ties to the top as I didn't want to nail or staple the sheet. I took my sewing machine outside and I have to ask myself "WHY HAVEN'T I DONE THIS BEFORE!?"



 

 

Everything was set-up early to make sure there were no glitches. We rented E.T. off of iTunes and loaded it onto Connor's iPad. We hooked everything up and played some zombie smashing games - it all worked perfectly! I will note here that we did not test the actual movie.

Now the hard part, we had to wait until it was dark enough to see the show. The boys occupied themselves with our lemonade stand turned concession stand. Connor made a paper hat and they took turns being the shop owner and the customers.

And then it was time! Press play on the movie and we get a message that the movie we are trying to play is not authorized to play with a VGA cord. Stupid iTunes and their copy right protections. We jump into problem solving mode. I checked the message boards to see if there is a way around the error - nope. Brought our desktop computer outside and since it is newer there is no VGA connection - still no luck. Tried every cable we have in the house - nothing.

By now it is 9:30 at night and my stubborn-side was not going to let the opportunity slide. A quick call to London Drugs to see what they suggest and then a speedy trip (and $60 later) we have a VGA to USB adapter and are in business.

We started to watch the movie around 10:30; 2 of the 3 boys fell asleep about 15 minutes in.

BUT, the next night, we had the right connections knew what needed to be done, had a movie we all agreed upon and that all adds up to success!