This weekend

This weekend we especially kept our soldiers in our thoughts and prayers. In February of 2008 we visited Arlington Cemetery and the Marine Corp Memorial of Iwo Jima, both had a profound impact on all of us.  I knew very little about the Marine Corp Memorial, other than it's iconic image. I had no idea it was so huge.  This photo I think captures the towering scale.  We are so proud of our military and are eternally grateful for their sacrifices.

Sunday afternoon, Miles celebrated his birthday with his buddies by playing football on the high school field. It was a beautiful and hot day.  (And we were thankful because on Thursday we had our annual block ice cream social and we were wearing sweatshirts and jackets and had a fire pit going!)

I know they all had fun, even Richard got in the game. He "had" to play since the teams were uneven.

The boys even humored me with a little photo shoot!  It was their idea to get in a pyramid. ;)

Yesterday we worked on projects around the house.  Richard worked on organizing the garage, which was in quite disheveled state given his work schedule over the last year.  I worked in the garage as well on reupholstering a chair for Emily's room.  I'm about 2/3's done now and I'm quite happy. I'll post photos soon.

While I had the sewing machine out, I hemmed up our outdoor curtains. We hung them on the pergola outside. We loved the shade they provided. Our house faces due west so any evening outdoor dinning has always been an unbearable experience. Not any more. The shade and the outdoor room they created while enjoying our BBQ was a welcome treat. :)

I just need to find some nice sailor rope or something to keep them tied back when not in use.

we made it!

Yesterday was a very anticipated day in our household.  Richard made his last trip home from Bloomington, Il.

Last year, Richard took a development opportunity at the company headquarters.  It really was a great experience for him professionally. He made some great friendships and contacts that will be beneficial in the years to come.

I have been reluctant to go to any great details of what was going on this last year for safety reasons.  I mean, let's face it, in today's world you can never be too careful and announcing that your husband is gone every week seemed like a bad idea to me.

The hardest part for me was that I became a single parent each week.  We knew going into it that it wouldn't be easy, but it was much harder than I thought, especially at first.  I had to muddle my way through the kid's busy schedules and find a way to be there for both of them, whatever they needed. I also found myself on this emotional roller coaster of ups when he was here and downs when he was gone.  Eventually, it leveled off and adjusted to the new rhythm of our lives, knowing in the back of my mind it was only temporary.

Often though, I thought of military families who are separated for long periods of time, become single parents, miss special occasions, and the like, but also have the fear of something happening to their loved one.  I didn't have to worry about war, but I certainly worried about all that time spent on the road and the accidents that could occur.

Modern technology certainly made this experience a little better. Almost every night we would Skype which certainly makes you feel more connected than just talking on the phone.

This year was a year of sacrifices for all of us.  Certainly, it was hardest on Richard. He worked extremely long hours during the week only to add a 4 hours commute home on Friday's. Which meant by the time he got home, he was exhausted. And just when he had almost recovered, when our weekend schedules weren't too hectic, he would have to drive back.

The children handled the situation well. There were many times we would all Skype together and we definitely shared some big laughs.  They are old enough to be fairly independent and very secure in their relationship to there Dad.

Weekends became what we looked forward to the most.   Trying to make every minute count before he left again.

We are so happy it's all over now and we are so looking forward to getting back to our lives together in the same town.  We have summer trips planned and are excited about the dedicated time for sharing each others company as a family.

When he got home yesterday, it was so great to be able to give a big "finish line" hug.  We made it!! 

Spring is in the air

...And it's a new season with GCD Studios! Horray!!  I'm so very happy and honored to be back for another term at GCD Studios.  I mean, come on, have you seen all the new designs?  They are delicious and I can't wait to bring you layouts that inspire you with these new lines.

I loved each of the challenges Heidi had for us last year and found every one of them so rewarding. I definitely love a good challenge.  I can't wait to see what she has in store for us, and for you, this year!

And on that note, I think it's time for me to actually share the layout!!  Heidi asked us to think spring.  And the first thing that came to mind is our annual first bike ride of spring!  It's such a great way to spend a spring day!

I absolutely love the Fun House collection!  While I know I have carnival and circus photos that will work fabulously with this collection, the fun color palette and designs can be used for so much more!

Here are a few close-ups.

The banner was part of this fun collection of notions.  I actually used the backside, how cute is that?

And the little flag, it comes in a little kit complete with stickers and mini flag poles you can customize however you like!

I hope you can get your hands on the Fun House Collection.  It has sure brought some fun to my page!

Season's end

Emily had a tournament to end the soccer season a few weekends ago.  Despite the frigid, rainy weather all weekend she had some great games and could not be denied a goal at the last game!

 

On the field, she is tough and fast and focused.

 Boom!

She's definitely mastered the "claiming your space" when around the ball.

She doesn't do a lot of pushing, because it makes her really mad when she's pushed around, but she does use her arms to defend her area.

 In the below photo, it looks like she's holding the girl back from picking up the ball with her hands?

And now for the goal... after breaking away, she sets up her crossover kick...

and her kick can't be stopped. It's in the net!!

I don't have a full sequence of shots here because I knew my memory card was just about full. I was consciously taking photos of her teammates to share with other parents. :)

It was a good season, but she is ready for a change.  She has decided she wants to move up in the league or join a different club to further her skills. We're very proud of her determination and are often surprised by her speed. When she turns on those rocket boosters, she can beat just about anybody to the ball! She's so much fun to watch.

Yesterday...

Yesterday, our boy turned 16!  Sixteen? How did this happen? It's truly remarkable how quickly time passes.

It really breaks my heart to think that this boy will leave us soon and I just know it will come quicker than I'll be ready for .  He is my heart, I love him so dearly.  He's so kind and quietly thoughtful. Yet, his dry wit floors us each and every time he drops one of his priceless quips. He's quite the one-liner kind of guy.

He's definitely the child I'd like to get inside his head and figure out what's going on in there and what he's thinking. I worry, always have. And yet, I'm so very proud and know I shouldn't worry given the  man he is becoming.  He's smart and has such a calm wisdom about him. I just know he's going to do great things with his life.

He's always been a very patient and caring big brother.  I think that says a lot about him.  He gave Emily the nickname we call her most by, "Em". He always included her in his play even when he was with bunch of little boys.

He has a passion for his music that is so admirable. We gave him an electric guitar just last year for his birthday and I think it's the best gift we've ever given him.  He's constantly making up new riffs and trying new things. He totally rocks!

He's been our chauffeur a good bit of this year with his driver's permit and will get his license and probably a car sometime this summer.  I just realized how freaked out I'm going to be watching my boy drive away alone!!

I'm reminded of his first day of kindergarten.  His school required children to ride the bus on the first day of school if you were going to ride it regularly. No exceptions. I was so worried. I watched that little boy get on that big, yellow bus, snapped a few photos and then the tears started to pour. And then instinctively, I grabbed little, toddling Emily, buckled her in the van and followed the bus all the way to school.  It made me feel better to know he'd gotten there safely.  Can I do that when he drives off in a car too?

We finished the birthday celebration last night with his favorite, signature birthday dessert...

Apple pie!! I gladly make it for him every year. It's a labor of love, always. :)  We love you Miles!!

The weird and the cool

Tuesday was the day to encounter weirdness of the animal kind.  I don't have a photo of the first incident, but the second was easy to photograph.

I had to pick Miles up from school because his bus broke down. No big deal really except it is way across town, and I had just got home from picking up Emily (whose school is much more conveniently located).

The drive to and from his school crosses over downtown.  We were at a red light on a major intersection when I saw what I initially thought was a rock, but the rock moved quickly and then I thought it was a leaf.  Nano seconds later I realized what it was... a mouse! It was crossing a busy 4 lane street in the middle of the afternoon!  It was weird and kind a gross ! But you know what was weirder?  It crossed with no problems as if it knew the traffic had stopped because of a red light and there weren't cars crossing in the other direction. For the rest of the after noon I kept thinking about how that the old story "The City Mouse and the Country Mouse" is quite possibly a plausible tale. ;)

The next occurrence wasn't that weird in all honesty. It's not like we hadn't seen a turtle in our neighborhood before, in fact we had seen one the day before on a run.

But this turtle seemed too big to fit in between our fence slats or under it.  I'll have to do some investigating as I plan on putting out my vegetable garden this weekend and I'd like to avoid thieves!

The only reason we found the turtle is because Tucker spot it and was going crazy by the backdoor.  We all went outside ahead of him to photograph it and then let the crazy dog loose!

He sniffed, and danced and then started barking at the poor turtle. I think if it had been a little smaller he may have picked it up and ran around with it.  Silly dog!

Now for the cool.  I got an email from Adobe the other day announcing an update to Photoshop and touting their new iPad apps.  I went to check it out and I was floored!!

If I thought I was excited about getting an iPad before, as I'm not so patiently waiting for it to come, I'm dying with anticipation now.  I know this app is going to be so useful and helpful to me not to mention, just plain fun,  I'm just beside myself with the possibilities and the sheer coolness of these apps!

The other cool email I got was from Photojojo.   Go check these out. (you can click on the screen shot) Lots of mentions of Instagram and Hipstamatic but there were several others that looked cool that I hadn't heard of.

Well, need to get to my workout. I've procrastinated long enough. At the encouragement of Lisa's post about Juillian's Ripped in 30 days dvd, I bought a copy the other day.  Now, I really don't imagine I'll be ripped in 30 days because I'm not doing it everyday, only on my days off from running.  I do think after one session, that "Tortured Muscles for 30 Days" is a more appropriate title. ;)  I woke up slight sore after the first day and thought to myself, "well, this is doable."  Then I went for my run and hours later I was dying, soreness of the kind that you cringe when something falls on the floor because you know it's going to really hurt to pick it up!

A lovely day and some sneaks!

I must say I totally felt like I was the luckiest mom on Mother's day. My family treated me to a beautiful day and I definitely felt their love.  A gorgeous bouquet of flowers, lunch on the river at a fancy restaurant, a nap, a walk to enjoy a perfect spring day and a promise of an extraordinary gift, made me feel extra special.

After church, we had lunch on the terrace of a nearby restaurant and winery that overlooks the river.  The food was wonderful, but the view and the perfect weather were just as much a treat!

I was happy to share Mother's Day with my MIL, Gail. We joked that my MIL brought the lovely spring weather with her from Louisiana.  It was definitely the weather that we've all been waiting for!

That glass of wine and a delicious meal equaled the perfect equation for a nap. And those of you who know me well, know I am not a napper!  I usually have to be sick or totally sleep deprived to take a nap.  The kids were so shocked, they both came and check on me, separately even! :)  They couldn't believe I was napping with Richard and Tucker (our goldendoodle), who are the napping duo in our house!

And that gift I eluded to earlier?  Well, I don't have it yet, but I got an adorable card made by Emily that told me I deserved this particular present...

The pop up iPad she made on her card is almost as cool as getting an iPad2! :)

I can't wait for it to come in!  While I'm waiting, I've been researching and planning the apps I'll load when it arrives and debating on what color Smart Cover to get :)

I think, no I know, the kids and Richard can't wait for me to share this gift with them. ;)

As promised, here are my favorite sneaks for two of the five projects I created last week for upcoming GCD Studio's blog posts.

This week I REALLY need to clean my studio and get back to my Project Life.

whew!

Crazy busy weeks recently.  Lots of design work, including senior announcements and invitations and then I also had 5 projects due for GCD Studios!  Oh, and my MIL arrived yesterday, so in between all the other stuff and kid's activities there was also house cleaning and tidying. 

I can share a layout I did a while back.  We aren't into overnight camping. We are just too spoiled and like the comforts of home, but we do enjoy what we have taken to calling "fake camping".  We have been doing this for the last few years in the spring and really look forward to this year's outing.

Here are some close ups.

These pages were created with the new Great Outdoors collection from GCD Studios.

After the whirl wind scrapping blitz I was on for projects I had due yesterday, my studio is a serious disaster.  Hoping to have time to do a serious clean up this weekend. Other than that, I know I will be enjoying a fairly relaxing Mother's day weekend. How about you?  What are your plans?  Ours are pretty loose still.

Let's see what can else I share in the way of photos?  Last Friday night was Miles' 9th grade dinner dance.  It's a shame all of these photos came out blurry. Not sure what was going on there. I guess I was in a hurry. But does he not look handsome?

I went as a chaperone and "managed to have fun without embarrassing" anyone, as my friend Tracy put it. ha! We've decided we've got standing dates for these functions. ;)

Today I get to breathe.  Richard and his Mom went on a little sight seeing trip and I'm going to enjoy the sunshine with a run on the trail.  Then, I'm going to the mall!!  I have a return to make and some City Cash to spend. :)