Things to be Thankful for....Happy Thanksgiving

Well, first of all, let me wish everyone that comes and visits my blog a very happy, love filled Thanksgiving Holiday. May we all hold the things we have been blessed with close to our hearts, and not take them in vain. Most of all remember that our Heavenly Father gave his son, as the greatest gift we could ever receive. As we usher in the Christmas season...please remember the true meaning, and try not to let the "Bah Humbug" mentality take over.

I have been blessed, and gifted early this year. My husband knew how much I love scrapbooking, and started looking at the Black Friday Ads this morning. To my surprise he had been listening when I said I wanted a better quality camera to take my scrapping pictures with. I had a Kodak Easy Share 2.something megapixel camera. I have been using for several years now. He knows how much I love my children and documenting their accomplishments in life...so he found something on sale he thought I would like, and then checked the store's website to find out it was an everyday price. So sales aren't really sales sometimes...just a way to draw attention to some items.

He tells me he is going to the store, and comes back home with not the camera he was looking at but this little baby below: (mouse click 2X's for a better view)



EASYSHARE Z712 IS Zoom Digital Camera
Superior performance. Superb picture quality.
12X SCHNEIDER-KREUZNACH VARIOGON Optical Zoom Lens
Optical image stabilization
7.1 megapixels
Best-in-class* click-to-capture speed (0.26 sec.)
High ISO mode
KODAK PERFECT TOUCH Technology
KODAK Color Science Chip
High resolution 2.5 in. (6.4 cm) color display


Can I say, this camera is amazing...the photo's are so clear. YOU CAN EVEN SEE THE DOG'S NOSE PRINTS ON THE GLASS DOOR....LOL. Here are a couple of pictures taken with it tonight. Looks like early evening huh? I am totally amazed and in love with this camera. My next hope is to get the picture printer to go with it...maybe for my birthday...LOL.



Norm put some of our Christmas lights out last weekend and today since it is supposed to be raining, wet, and cold tomorrow. Our tradition is to put the Tree up, and our decorations out, while the Thanksgiving meal is being prepared...(and it keeps the kids out from under my feet usually...LOL)




Here is something for us to be thankful for. The year's last smile of color, before the winter cold sets in. Thank you Rina for sharing this and a few other pictures with me of your yard. When I seen them I was not only in awe...but instantly thought these will come in handy for a "SCRAP!"

This is another layout I "Re-Scrapped" this week from a page in Breanna's Baby Book. I will get them all scanned and redone one day.

Thank you all for taking a peek in my little corner of the universe and may your holidays all be filled with love, laughter, and good health.

School Year 2007 Pictures

Ms. Breanna, is doing so well this year in school. She is her normal chatty self, and occasionally I get phone calls from her teacher...but I can't complain. She made ALL A's on her report card and one B. A far cry better than her old school, where she was always complaining. She has several little friends that she chats on the phone with regularly, and seems to be happily content with the change this school year.





Samuel, is still my source of wonder and laughter. You can't ever tell what is going to come out of his mouth. He loves all of the typical boy things: Power Rangers, Sci-Fi, Star Wars, and the list goes on. He seems to be adjusting well in school also. His grades are ranging in the A's & B's also. He seems very pleased with his teacher, and gets along well with his classmates. He was (one of) my "Student's Of The Month" for October. Samuel also got the privledge to honor his dad and I with a tribute in the school play for Veteran's Day. (I will post pics when I get a chance.) Both he and Breanna were in the play, but Samuel had a speaking part. "Since 1926, Veteran's Day has been celebrated on November 11th as a National Holiday to honor our U.S. Veterans."





Mr. Jadan was my other "Student Of The Month" for October. He loves school, doing his work, homework, and has been making lots of progress in kindergarten this year. I had the joy of volunteering in his class a couple of times this year so far and he really enjoyed me being there. He still askes me occasionally to volunteer in the classroom, however time/holidays/life hasn't given me much opportunity as of lately.



Mr. Jordan is my electronic nut. He loves Game Cube, Play Station, Computers, Computers, Computers....did I say Computers??? He also seems to be doing very well in school, and is progressing in kindergarten as well. He is, however, always happy to get home and do homework, and spend time with mom. He seems to be the more withdrawn of the children when it comes to school for the time being, but this is giving me the opportunity to help him with things. We are still working on handwriting, and reading together at home. He seems to really like the little take home books we get on a daily basis.

Like A Feather Drifts...

(left mouse click the image twice for a better view, for some reason in this format it looks very gritty and flat, sorry.)



Yesterday's Challenge was to use a feather to create a layout. I instantly knew what I was going to do with that feather. This was my creation. This is one of my favorite pictures of Breanna and Samuel. My quote explains my pleasure in watching them grow, discover, and explore.

Quote: Like feathers drift in the wind....they drifted into my life, and now I have the pleasure of watching them grow. I love you, Mom

Veteran's Day Tribute

I wanted to do something special this Veteran's Day, so I created this LO, honoring my husband and his career in the military. He will be retiring next year around Christmas. His career has carried him the way around the world. He has done a Med. Cruise, a tour in the Sandbox, a WestPAC, and UNITAS, among various other amounts of "haze grey and underway" time.


This LO, contains a picture of him while he was out on his last career cruise aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln(CVN-72), where he received his Air Warfare Quilification, Pin, and EIGHTH Navy Achievement Medal, Summer 2006.

As we all know the Navy couldn't survive without it's blue shirts - the back bone of the military, so honor your loved one's and give the one's who serve abroad, and on the homefront a huge BRAVO ZULU!

United We Stand, Happy Veteran's Day

My How Time Changes Things..

Left mouse click, twice on the pictures to enlarge.

First layout was of my little man about a year and a half old I think. He loved to play with sunglasses, and earned the nickname "door keeper". He was constantly opening shut doors and shutting open doors. This was one opportunity that I had to snap a picture as he was just so adorable.

These pictures were taken just this past week. My how my little man had grown. I couldn't be prouder of him. He is so curious, and questions things until he gets answers ...inquiring minds want to know. Sometimes he just blows me away with the knowledge he has about different things. He is all boy...give him a video game and he will toss the instructions and learn on his own. He still loves to sit and play with his action figures and make up his own stories about them. He loves transformers, power rangers, and just about anything Sci-Fi. He's certainly a boy after his father's heart as well. I just stand amazed. He is so patient, and kind, and so loving. My heart swells with pride as I see him matures. He's growing up way to quickly....but I am enjoying every moment of watching him accomplish something new, that he has been trying so hard to figure out...and watch his confidence grow.

My Husband, the Crypt Keeper & I (Black Cat) for Halloween.





I had a "Purple" challenge and I chose to redo a page I had previously paper scrapped of my beautiful daughter Breanna, taking a nap, approximately six months old.

Quote: You are the poem I dreamed of writing, the masterpiece I longed to paint. You are the shining star I reached for in my ever-hopeful quest for life fulfilled. You are my child. Now with all things I am blessed. - arthur unknown





I also finally got around to scrapping the boys (Jordan & Jadan) Fifth Birthday pictures, this is what I come up with.



Hard to believe they will be SIX next month!