Project Life - Week 4

Having so much fun with Project Life. I can't believe that 4 weeks are already done. Time, you need to slow down.

Summer vacation has officially started, I hope to post lots of swimming and outdoor photos soon.

Right Now Challenge - Week 2

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

• Darien asked me how long he was playing outside after dinner. When I told him 1 hour he asked me if that was "with tax".
• Cleaning Darien's room took an entire day. How can a 7 year old make such a mess and be a pack rat to the highest level?
• Today is Grayden's last day of preschool. Next up graduation and then kindergarten. Having a bit of a hard time with my baby growing up.
• Proud of myself (and Grayden too), we made it through with no tears. It was a very touching morning the preschool teacher put together for us. We will miss her!
• After 11 years of being a mom to boys it has finally happened - they broke a window. It was my youngest. When asked how it happened he told us he was trying to throw rocks onto the roof of the garage and missed.

A Big Busy Day

 

A superhero day complete with potluck goodies for the last full day of grade 1. There is a half day tomorrow but Darien is going to play hookey and stay home with dad.

The youngest member of the family has graduated from preschool today. Here he is with the best preschool teacher I have ever met. Hooray for having all 3 boys in 1 school (for 2 years anyway).

 

 

A day of worry while our oldest was at Cultus Lake for the day. I wasn't worried about him going home with someone or getting lost. I was worried about injuries when you think about that many 11 year old boys in a water park, there has to be horseplay. But everyone came home in one piece!

 

 

Photo Edits: Karla Dudley Brushes - Stamp Sheet Boy

Right Now Challenge - Week 1

As I was on a blog exploration, I discovered the One Happy Mama blog. Kristina is cheerful and upbeat so I stayed awhile and read through some posts. She is on the Creative Team for Project Life and as that is my  new favourite creative outlet she earned some more brownie points from me.

What really got me though was this post about her Right Now Challenge.

In Kristina's words, this is what the challenge is all about (or you can go here to read her first post about it):

During the week, jot down little tidbits about anything going on in your life. It could be your child’s (or children’s) favorite toy, food, song, saying, etc. It could be something funny someone said. It could be some personal goals that you set for yourself or accomplished. It could be places you went. Things you did. Just those little mundane facts about your week that make up your everyday life.

You can blog about them to hold yourself accountable, too! If you do, come back here to my posts and leave me a comment with a link to YOUR list! You don’t have to blog about them – so don’t feel obligated at all! Just jotting them down is enough, but if you’d like to share then please do!

I can even email you the above graphic if you’d like and you can link back to my blog here so that it can encourage others to jot down their life “right now!”

I plan on making some freebie cute little Project Life cards, too for this little challenge, so be on the lookout for those!

The first Right Now Challenge is going to take place next Friday, October 5th. So be sure to take some notes about your week and then check out my blog post next week!

 Without further ado, my first list:

• Quiet - the birds, me and a cup of coffee (June 16)
• Grayden informed me that his toys are all played out and the only thing for him to do is play on the computer (June 17)
• Lots of laughs with Connor while playing games on his iPad.
• Darien wrote a cheque to himself for $10,000. He is really upset with me that he can't cash it.
• Incredibly frustrated (and a wee bit proud) at how head-strong Darien is. He knows what he wants and isn't easily swayed (June 18)
• Grateful my husband regularly indulges my dark mint chocolate obsession (June 19)
• Grayden believes that when his older brothers act out we should just "put them in the garbage" (June 20)

Project Life - Week 3

I love the mix of journal cards and photos in this layout. I think my other layouts have been picture-heavy. I even got Jeremy involved by filling out a "What I loved about today..." card I made in homage to Father's Day (I used Cathy Zielske's Scallop Summer Stamps in the journal card and the picture on the right of my son by the water).

The group of 4 pictures was on a hike we took Sunday, Connor was the photographer. It really captures how silly we can be. There is no doubt in my mind where our kids get it from.

Father's Day 2013

Edits: M4H Striking Action

 

 It was a great day, as confirmed by Jeremy. Coffee (in a new mug made by Connor) and homemade banana muffins in bed while he opened presents. A relaxing morning followed-up with an Eggs Benny brunch (from scratch courtesy of me!) and then a family hike at an old haunt we haven't been to in ages. And to finish it off a car ride for Jeremy and I mowed the lawn.

 

It has been almost 2 years since we did this same walk and we couldn't believe how fast it went by. It used to take an hour to get to the lake at the end and I think we made it there in 20 minutes. Our boys are growing up too fast!

Hello Card

No credits for this one other than to myself! I made my first Project Life card today. I will admit the "Hello" has been done but the colours, background and layering are all me.

I love how something so simple gives me so much pleasure. It is now proudly displayed on my tack board sitting above my computer.

To Run or not to Run

That has been the question. I used to run (a lot), races and everything. Then I changed jobs and I didn't run (at all). In October of last year I decided to start to run again. I didn't start slow, I jumped right in to my old 10 km base type of runs. And....

I got hurt. I damaged my entheses (where your tendon inserts into your foot). After crutches, physio therapy and many months I am getting that old familiar itch again.

I am going to sign up for this race:

It is the Color Me Rad race and it is coming to Vancouver in September. It is only 5 km and I have more than enough time to s-l-o-w-l-y build up my base again.

So excited to get colour bombed!

Project Life - Weeks 1 & 2

 

I can't say enough good things about Project Life. I am loving taking pictures, printing them out, documenting the stories behind the pictures and sharing it all with my boys.

 

One thing I have noticed 2 weeks in is that I take a lot of pictures on the weekend and there seems to be no time to fit in snapshots through the week. I need to pace myself better next week and make sure to grab the camera in the evenings. But you may notice that I am in TWO pictures below. I am glad I took the time to set-up the tripod.

Pictures of Me

Not just pictures of me, but pictures of me with my boys. I read this post by Becky Earl this morning and it has reminded me that I need to be in pictures too!

I just finished my first week of Project Life (LOVE IT) and I am not in there at all, sure behind the scenes as the documenter but I want to be documented too.

This is from my iPod almost 2 years ago. I'm sure I can do better.

On another picture related note, I learned how to make my own photo templates this morning. I purchased the assorted photo pages for Project Life and one of the layouts is for four 6X6 photos. I think this is how I am going to print out my photos for those pages.

Workplace Shenanigans

It was a busy weekend that was packed full of fun. Two birthday parties on Saturday and then I had to go into work on Sunday to get ready for some upcoming renovations.

 

Darien asked me if he could bring his hammer and bang on some walls as they were going to be knocked down. "Sure!"

 

Can we dance on the table? "Sure!"

 

Did we sneak in some fun even though mom had to work all day Sunday? "Sure!"

 

 



The writing on the wall is courtesy of my co-workers, not my sons.

 



Photo Edits: Stamp Sheet Boy by Karla Dudley